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<n OF aCe 
FEB 17 1927 
Me 

ocichs sew 


The New Testament Church 
Its Teaching and 





Its Scriptures 


By PARK Hays’MILLER 


Prepared as a Textbook for the 


Standard Leadership Training Course 
Covering Units 4 and 104 


Philadelphia 
The Westminster Press 
1926 





an - Copyright, 1926, by 
; F. M. BrasELMAN 


: ; ; | , 
Printed in the United States of Am 
tae 4 of a 
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‘ ; at tae ae a “7 en ; 
, ‘ O a uM } F ~ 3 a ra ; 3 “ 


To My WIFE 
WHOSE SYMPATHETIC COOPERATION 
MapbDE THE PREPARATION OF THE MANUSCRIPT 
POSSIBLE 
THis VoLuME Is AFFECTIONATELY 
_ DEDICATED 





FOREWORD 


The twenty-four chapters of this course are a study 
of the development of the New Testament. They will 
show how the New Testament grew out of the life of 
the Christian Church, whose foundation was the life 
and work of Jesus Christ. The course will deal with 
the history of the New Testament Church as this 
history is related to the development of the books of 
the New Testament and explains them. The chapters 
will also discuss the outstanding Christian truths 
and principles which are revealed and recorded in 
the New Testament. This study aims to enable 
the student to teach in a Sunday-school class any 
particular lesson from the New Testament on the 
larger background of the whole New Testament and 
of New Testament Christianity. 

The books of the New Testament are vitally 
related to the growth of the New Testament Church, 
to its spread geographically, and to the developing 
expression of the great Christian truths which Jesus 
Christ himself revealed to his disciples and which he 
said the Holy Spirit would more fully interpret to 
them. The Acts will therefore be the basic book of 
the study, because this book tells the story of the 
New Testament Church and thus provides the his- 
torical background of the New Testament books 
and their teaching. The other books of the New 
Testament will be considered as they fit into this 
background of the New Testament Church as it 
obeyed Christ’s own command to bear witness to 

Vv 


FOREWORD 


him and to teach all things whatsoever he had com- 
manded. 

These studies assume the correctness of the New 
Testament narratives and are based upon the -New 
Testament books as they now stand. It is not the 
purpose to discuss critical questions but to make the 
New Testament, as it stands, speak, for itself. The 
purpose of the course is to consider the message of 
the New Testament as we have it. 

The course is not a course on Christianity or the 
Church; it is a course on the Christianity and the 
Church of the New Testament. This should be kept 
clearly in mind. The New Testament text which is 
used is that of the Standard American Edition of the 
Revised Version of the Bible. 

The plan of the chapters should be noted. Im- 
mediately under the title of the chapter will be found 
a series of New Testament references. These passages 
are for reading and study, and much of the value of 
the course will be lost unless the student does this 
reading. The purpose of the course is to enable the 
New Testament to speak for itself, and this end can 
be achieved only if the student will read the passages 
indicated. 

The problem of the chapter is stated to set the 
student to thinking. The problem should be read 
-before the assigned Scripture passages are considered. 
The student can then read these passages with the 
purpose of finding for himself the solution of the 
problem. 

The discussion in the body of the chapter develops 
' the subject under consideration. This discussion is 


vi 


FOREWORD 


not for the purpose of imparting mere information, 
but aims to encourage the student to think the 
problem through for himself. AIl references should 
be looked up by the student. 

The last section of the chapter is “Questions for 
Study and Assignment.” All students should read 
every one of these questions and give them serious 
thought. It is not to be expected, however, that any 
one student can do the work necessary to enable him 
to answer all the questions fully. The teacher should 
assign questions to members of the class for study 
or research’ and report. If the teacher does not 
assign particular questions to a student, the student 
should on his own initiative choose at least one of 
the questions requiring special research, selecting the 
question which he considers most important, or the 
question in which he is most interested, or the question 
for which he can secure the best sources of information, 
or the question about which he feels that he knows 
least. 

As new chapters are taken up, previous chapters 
should be reviewed so that the student will appre- 
ciate the development of the New Testament Church 
and its sacred Scriptures. 

At the close of each chapter is a list of the books 
of the New Testament. This list will help to keep 
before the student the names of all the books of the 
New Testament in their usual order. As these 
books are discussed in the chapters they are printed 
in bold-faced type. This will help the student to 
follow the development of the New Testament with 
greater ease. This, however, does not indicate the 


Vu 


FOREWORD 


exact order of the books according to their dates, 
but their relation. to the story which the course tells. 

It will be observed that the chapters can readily be 
taken in pairs if teachers should desire to cover the 
course in twelve lessons instead of twenty-four. The 
chapters have been planned with this in view, in 
case it should seem to be necessary. 


Vill 


CHAPTER 


XVI. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

How Did the New Testament Church 
TS GOIT Cero tema teen od icatie rie tA 1 
The Message of the TWelVe..u....ccccssssss 10 
The Ministry of the Church... 18 
The Church Organizes for Its Ministry 26 
The Conflict. with Judaism... 34 
The Spread-of the: Church! acicias..onkans 45 

Preparation for the Extension of the 
Church to the Gemtiles...ccccccccccssccscbsisue 56 

The Early Progress of the Church 
AMON ULE ATEN Lileda cua caemncenee 66 
The Conflict with the Judaizers.................. 75 
Problems of the Gentile Church............... 86 
The Gospel Tested in a Heathen City 99 


The Gospel’s Conflict with Idolatry 


BON fe OVE CISTI Nes a hind meee 111 
Organization in the New Testament 

9] TEC a Sectie) ( HE RONSG SeStOne SeotCE Ont tah A Aa 120 
feo nirches Leaching 3. aS 132 


The Church’s Leading Missionary Be- 
comes Its Greatest Doctrinal Writer 143 


Forming an Indigenous Church.................. 155 
ix 


CHAPTER 
SSVilbe 


XVIII. 


XIX. 
DOG 
XXI. 
XXIT. 
XXII. 
XXIV. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

The New Testament Church and the 
Old sTestamenti wes tens anne eee 166 

The New ‘Testament Church and 
Humane byosophy 2 museca Lea 
The Church and Its Temptations........... 188 
The Church and Persecution... 199 
The Church’s Need of the Gospelas............ 209 
The Synoptic Story Of Jesus... 219 
The Testimony of John’s Gospoel............... 230 
The Christ of the New Testament........... 241 


CHAPTER I 


HOW DID THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
BEGIN? 


Scripture Material to Be Read: Luke 1: 1-4; 
Acts 1: 1 to 2: 42 


The Problems of the Chapter. We live in the 
twentieth century and are known as Christians. Our 
Christianity and the Christian Church are inseparably 
connected. We usually profess our faith in Christ by 
uniting with the Church. We find Christian fellowship 
and inspiration and instruction in the Church. Our 
Christianity is also closely connected with the sacred 
Scriptures, especially the New Testament Scriptures. 
How did the Church begin? What was its character 
at the beginning? What was its relation to Jesus and 
to the New Testament Scriptures? In this chapter 
we are to begin our search fo the answers to these 
questions. 


The Book of The Acts. The Acts, which is the 
basic book of our study at the beginning, and the 
book which records the early story of the Church, is 
one of the finest pieces of historical writing which is 
known to literature. The author, we know, is Luke, 
the Gentile physician, traveler, and Christian, who 
wrote the Third Gospel. This is evident from the 
comparison of Luke 1: 1-4 and Acts 1: 1, 2, and is 
confirmed by the tradition of the Church. 

1 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


The author’s method in writing his history should 
be noted. His method marks him as a true historian. 
Luke undertook to write a book because there was 
danger of confusion concerning the fundamental 
facts of the Christian religion, owing to the unre- 
liability of tradition and to the appearance of accounts 
from unauthoritative sources. His purpose was to 
write a book which would be thoroughly reliable and 
trustworthy, so that conviction might be based upon 
it. His historical materials were examined with the 
utmost care before they were accepted. He has 
noted three sources of his material: testimony, 
records, and personal observation. It was his policy 
to draw from the testimony of trustworthy witnesses. 
See Luke 1: 2. He made it his business to trace 
traditions to their source and prove them. Luke 1:3. 
He demanded convincing historical evidence, Acts 1:3, 
which would provide a firm ground of assurance 
concerning the truth, Luke 1: 4. His account of 
Paul’s conversion, Acts 9: 1-19, was no doubt based 
upon Paul’s own account of the occurrence, which 
Luke heard often from the apostle’s own lips. In 
some cases he drew from authoritative records. 
The genealogy of Jesus was no doubt based upon a 
careful search of genealogical lists. In Acts 15: 23-29, 
he quoted a letter which was preserved in the records 
of the Church, and in Acts 23: 26-30, he quoted a 
letter which may have been sent to Rome as part of 
the official record when Paul’s case was referred to 
the court of Cesar. He also wrote out of personal 
experience, for he was an observer of much which he 
describes and narrates. Certain sections of The Acts, 

2 


THE BEGINNING OF THE CHURCH 


by the use of ‘‘we”’ or ‘‘us” in the narrative, indicate 
that the author was a member of the party of whose 
experiences he tells. Acts 16: 10-17; 20: 5 to 21: 18; 
27324 to 28:16. 

f 

‘Historical Accuracy. The accuracy of Luke as a 
historian has been wonderfully vindicated. Incidental 
reference to titles of officials, to geographical locations, 
and to historical settings have stood the test of the 
most exhaustive investigation. Modern research has 
established the historical exactness of The Acts. 
In “Luke the Historian in the Light of Research,” 
A. T. Robertson discusses the historical accuracy of 
both the Gospel by Luke and The Acts. 

Only a few instances of historical accuracy may be 
mentioned here. In Acts 13: 7, the governor of 
Cyprus is called ‘‘proconsul.”’ The accuracy of this 
title was often doubted because of a statement of 
Strabo, a Greek geographer and historian who lived 
from about 63 B.c. to about A.D. 24. He was a 
great traveler. His history is largely lost but his 
“Geographica’”’? has come down to us in seventeen 
volumes almost complete. Strabo described Cyprus 
as an imperatorial province administered by a legate. 
When the New Testament historian spoke of Sergius 
Paulus as ‘‘proconsul,’’ Luke’s accuracy was doubted. 
But in the latter part of the nineteenth century 
General di Cesnola discovered at Soli, Cyprus, an 
inscription in Greek, reading, ‘‘Under the proconsul 
Paulus.” In Acts 17: 8, the city officials of Thessa- 
lonica are called ‘‘polyarchs” in Greek, or “rulers of 
the city.”” This designation was said to be found in 

3 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


no ancient writing, but it has been found in an old 
archway in the modern city of Salonika, with the names 
of seven polyarchs. In Acts, ch. 19, Luke used a 
number of technical titles in referring to officials of 
Ephesus. Among them are “‘townclerk,”’ ‘“‘Asiarchs,” 
“shrine maker.”’ In inscriptions unearthed between 
1863 and 1874, these titles are found again and again. 
An experienced sailor, Captain James Smith, followed 
the course described by Luke in his account of the 
shipwreck in Acts, ch. 27, and has shown that the 
account is accurate in the most. minute details. 


, The Date of The Acts. Of course ancient books 
like those of the New Testament do not bear a date 
of publication or copyright as do our modern printed 
volumes. Usually the only way to determine when 
these books were written is by judging their date by 
their contents in relation to the background of 
history. The story of The Acts ends with Paul’s 
two years’ imprisonment in Rome. If these two 
years were from A.D. 61 to A.D. 63, the book must 
have been written some time not earlier than A.D. 63. 
And from the fact that the book makes no reference 
to the destruction of Jerusalem, which took place in 
A.D. 70, the conclusion has been drawn that the 
book must have been written before that time. It is 
probably safe to say that The Acts was written some 
time in the seventh decade of the first century A.D. 


~ The Contents of the Book. A good portion of 

the story of The Acts will be considered somewhat 

in detail in these studies. It is sufficient at this 
aa 


THE BEGINNING OF THE CHURCH 


point to indicate that the book tells the story of the 
New Testament Church from its beginning on the 
day of Pentecost until the arrival of Paul in Rome. 
The spread of the Church is traced geographically 
from Jerusalem through Syria, Asia Minor, and 
Europe, to Rome; the growth of the Church or- 
ganically from the disciples under the leadership of 
the Twelve to the scattered self-governing individual 
churches which recognized the authority of the 
apostles and the leadership of the mother church in 
Jerusalem; and the development of the Church 
doctrinally from the testimony of the apostles to the 
Jews at Pentecost to the proclamation of the same 
gospel of salvation by faith in Christ to Jews and 
Gentiles alike. 


Christ in the Church. The outstanding fact 
about the New Testament Church is that it was the 
Church of Jesus Christ. Jesus spoke of it as “my 
church,” Matt. 16:18. Without him there could have 
been no New Testament Church. He was its Founder, 
its Builder, its Head, its Center, its Life. The whole 
story of The Acts is the story of what Jesus wrought 
in and through those who were related to him through 
living faith. 

When Jesus was crucified, the disciples weré hope- 
less, Luke 24: 21, but the reality of his resurrection, 
which was proved beyond a doubt, Acts 1: 8, revived 
the hopes of the apostles and their closest associates, 
led them to plan the work which Jesus had given them, 
Acts 1: 4, and to reorganize the Twelve to carry on 
the work when the Spirit should come, Acts 1: 15-26. 

5 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


The explanation of their faith, their loyalty, and their 
zeal was Christ. Back of the Church lay the personal 
experience of the apostles who had been with Jesus 
and learned of him. They were guided and controlled 
and impelled by the teaching and example of Jesus. 
What they said was what Jesus had told them to say. 
What they did was what Jesus had taught them to do. 
Their great purpose was through their testimony to 
‘lead others to know Jesus as they knew him, to believe 
in Jesus as they believed in him, to follow Jesus as 
they tried to follow him. 


The Day of Pentecost. The New Testament 
Church began its work on the day of Pentecost, fifty 
days after the resurrection of Jesus and ten days after 
his ascension. For this day the disciples had been 
waiting according to Jesus’ directions, Acts 1:4. On 
this day the Spirit came upon the Church, Acts 2: 1-4, 
and Jesus’ promise was fulfilled. The ‘‘other com- 
forter’”? had come to empower and guide the Church. 
The “Spirit of Jesus” was in their midst. 


The Universality of the Gospel. Pentecost was 
known as the “feast of weeks,” and the Jewish law 
required the attendance of all males at the feast. 
Jerusalem was therefore crowded with Jews not only 
from Judea and Galilee but also from distant lands 
whence the faithful had returned in obedience to the 
law. This explains the presence of men from many 
nations. Though born and brought up in foreign 
lands, the Jews were taught to keep the law and 
thousands had come to Jerusalem for the feast. What 

6 





AS 


THE BEGINNING OF THE CHURCH 


happened that day, Acts 2: 5-11, was virtually a 
prophecy, a forecast of the Church’s work. These 
believers in God from many lands heard the apostles 
speaking in the tongues of the countries from which 
they had come. _ As forerunners of the Church they 
were to go back to these lands again to tell the message 
of Jesus, and some day, in all lands and in the lan- 
guages of the people, in obedience to the command of 
Christ, the Church was to proclaim the message of 
salvation through faith in Christ crucified and risen 
and ascended. 


The Message of the Church. The day of 
Pentecost was a prophecy of the world-wide ministry 
of the Church, but it was also an illustration of the 
method of the Church in the carrying out of its 
mission. Peter was the spokesman for the Twelve. 
He declared that the New Testament Church and its 
message and its work were the fulfillment of the Old 
Testament teaching. Acts 2: 16-31. Then he gave. 
his personal testimony to Christ, in which the rest of 
the disciples shared. Acts 2: 32-86. Then he pro- 
claimed the great message of the Church, the message 
of salvation through faith in Christ. Acts 2: 37-40. 
So, throughout it its history, the true Church has been 
a Church which bore witness to the Christ whom the 
apostles knew. 


~ Requirements of Church Members. The day 


of Pentecost also illustrated the requirements for 

membership in the Church of Christ: acceptance of 

the gospel, confession of faith, and baptism, Acts 2: 
av 7 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


41. It also gave an example of loyal Church member- 
ship, characterized by growth in knowledge, sharing 
in the support of the work of the Church, the ob- 
servance of the Lord’s Supper, and attendance upon 
meetings for worship and prayer, Acts 2: 42. 


Summary. Thus at the very beginning of The 
Acts, the purpose of which is to tell the story of the 
New Testament Church, we find a preliminary state- 
ment of the place of Christ in the Church, the essential 
work of the Holy Spirit, the great world-wide mission 
of the Church, the importance of witnessing for 
Christ, the gospel of salvation as the Church’s message, 
the requirements for Church membership, and the 
obligations and duties which Church membership 
involves. All these points will be more fully developed 
in the story which Luke has thus introduced. 


QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT! 


1. Why do we identify the author of The Acts with the author 
of the Third Gospel? 


2. How was Luke qualified to write a history of the Church 
in the days of the apostles? 

3. Make a list of evidences of the accuracy of Luke as a 
historian. See A. T. Robertson’s “Luke the Historian in the 
Light of Research.” 

4. Study Acts 1: 1 to 2: 41 with a view to noting each incident 
or reference that illustrates the Christ-centered character of 
Christianity and of the Church at the time of Pentecost. 


5. In the Apostolic Church what was the place of personal 
testimony to the historical facts concerning Jesus? 


6. What were the requirements for Church membership when 
the Church began its work at Pentecost? Compare these re- 
quirements with the requirements for Church membership to-day. 

1See Foreword, 


8 


THE BEGINNING OF THE CHURCH 


fi 7. Prepare a map and locate the places represented by the 
// multitude who heard the gospel on the day of Pentecost. What 
is the significance of the results of this geographical study? 


THE Books oF THE NEw TESTAMENT 


The Gospel:— Romans James 
According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
According to Mark II Corinthians II Peter 
According to Luke Galatians I John 
According to John Ephesians II John 

The Acts Philippians Iii John 

Colossians Jude 
I Thessalonians Revelation 
II Thessalonians 
I Timothy 
II Timothy 
Titus 
Philemon 
Hebrews 


CHAPTER I 
THE MESSAGE OF THE TWELVE 
Seripture Material to Be Read: Acts, chs. 2 to 4 


The Problem of the Chapter. Christianity is 
a religion with a message. The commission of Jesus 
to his Church was to “go” and “teach.” Matt. 28: 
18-20; Acts 1:8. The Twelve whom Jesus appointed 
to be leaders in the Church were called apostles, 
which means ‘“‘sent out.” They had been especially 
trained to go out to preach the gospel. Mark 3: 14. 
The Church is primarily a teaching institution, Its 
missionaries are sent out to declare the gospel, to 
deliver a message, to teach truth. Christianity 
appeals to the emotions and it influences character 
and conduct, but these results are attained through 
a message. Truth is in order to godliness, but truth 
is the fundamental thing in Christianity because it is 
the foundation of godliness. The apostles were 
therefore primarily teachers. They were to make 
something known. They were witnesses. 

In this lesson we are to seek the answer to the 
question, ‘‘What did the apostles teach?” In the 
study of this course we shall find that the whole 
New Testament is an elaboration of the teaching of 
the Twelve, which was the message that Jesus gave 
them to teach; but in this lesson we shall try to 
discover what the message of the apostles was at the 
very first. What can we learn about the teaching of 

10 


THE MESSAGE OF THE TWELVE 


the Twelve from the sermon of Peter on the day of 
Pentecost and from the addresses of the apostles in 
the Temple and before the sanhedrin? 


The Religious and Historical Background of 
the Apostles’ Teaching. The sermon of Peter on 
the day of Pentecost was not an attempt to make 
known to an audience religious and historical facts of 
which they were entirely ignorant. Peter talked 
mostly about things with which his audience was 
rather familiar- He appealed to their knowledge of 
the Old Testament Seriptures and of facts of common 
experience in recent days, for, as Paul once said con- 
cerning Jesus’ life and teaching, these things were not 
done ‘“‘in a corner.”’ Jesus Christ was a well-known 
figure, and his teaching -and the outstanding events 
of his life were common knowledge. Back of what 
Peter said, therefore, lay the Old Testament and the 
life and teaching of Jesus. His chief concern was to 
interpret facts. He wanted to show his hearers what 
the Old Testament meant and what the life and 
character and work of Jesus meant. The great 
facts were more or less familiar to his audience; the 
meaning of these facts would be new to them. 


The Sermon at Pentecost. (1) Oxtp TESTAMENT 
PropHEecy. The multitudes on the day of Pentecost 
were amazed by the fact that, although they had come 
from many lands where many languages were spoken, 
each language group heard the apostles speaking in 
the tongue of their native place. Some said that the 
strange tongues were the babbling of drunken men. 

11 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


Peter therefore undertook to explain the meaning of 
what the people saw and heard. He declared that 
what they saw and heard was the fulfillment of Old 
Testament prophecy. ‘This indicates that he knew 
that his hearers were familiar with the Old Testament 
Scriptures. Otherwise what he said would have had 
no force for them. He declared that the great day to 
which the prophets had looked forward had at last 
come. He quoted Joel 2: 28-82, which in the Hebrew 
Old Testament is a separate chapter of the book. 
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus’ 
followers and the power to speak in strange tongues 
was the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy, and now was the 
time when, according to the prophet, salvation was 
offered to those who would look to God for it. He 
quoted also from Psalm 16: 8-11, and declared that 
those words were not fulfilled in the experience of 
David, but were fulfilled in Christ. Acts 2: 25-32. 
He said also that the ascension of Jesus had fulfilled 
the prophecy of Psalm 110. Acts 2: 34-36. The 
apostles supported their testimony, therefore, by 
appealing to the Old Testament Scriptures which the 
Jews had been taught were the Word of God. The 
New Testament Church, then, taught that the Old 
Testament was the Word of God which was fulfilled 
in the life and work of Jesus and was to be further | 
fulfilled through the ministry of the Church in the 
world. 

(2) Tue Facts Anout Jesus. The references of 
Peter to the Old Testament were intended to open 
the minds of his hearers to accept his interpretation 
of the facts about Jesus. The apostles were called 

12 


THE MESSAGE OF THE TWELVE 


to be Christ’s witnesses, to declare what they had 
seen and heard. What, then, did the apostles think 
were the most important facts about Jesus which they 
were to declare? What were the great essentials 
concerning Jesus which they proclaimed? No doubt 
Peter’s sermon is given in The Acts in mere outline, 
but the outline would certainly indicate the chief 
points in his sermon. What are the facts about 
Jesus which Peter declared in Acts 2: 14-40? Read 
this passage and note the points in his teaching 
for yourself. 

(a) Jesus, Peter said, first of all, is “Jesus of 
Nazareth.’ Acts. 2: 22. -This ieee the whole 
background of Jesus’ life as a man. He was the Jesus 
who was brought up in Nazareth and who became 
known as the great Teacher. (6) Peter declared also 
that Jesus was the great Miracle Worker, In Peter’s 
day this did not need to be proved, “Everyone knew 
Jesus as the one who had wrought mighty works and 
‘ wonders and signs. Acts 2: 22. (c) Then Peter em- 
phasized the death of Jesus; he was Christ crucified. 
(d) Then followed the resurrection, and the ascension. 
(e) Jesus is therefore the Lord of Glory, and the Holy 
Spirit is the gift. of Jesus. Acts 2: 33-36. Run 
through this paragraph again and note once more the 
outstanding facts concerning Jesus which Peter pro- 
claimed in this first declaration of the gospel by 
‘the Church. 

(8) Conctusions ABout Jesus. Thus far Peter 
‘had witnessed to facts about Jesus. Many of these 
the multitude knew well enough. Of some of these 
facts the apostles were witnesses and in support of 


13 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


these, namely, the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, 
they gave their testimony. But what conclusions 
did Peter draw from these facts? Teaching is not 
merely stating facts, however clearly they may be 
stated. Teaching is helping the pupil to interpret 
facts in a vital way. Now note Peter’s interpretation 
of these facts about Jesus, Acts 2: 36-39. Observe 
that Peter declared the Messiahship of Jesus: he is 
both “‘Lord and Christ.” Jesus was exalted to the 
place of supreme authority: he is Lord. Peter de- 
clared also that Jesus is the Messiah, the Deliverer of 
the Jews. To this Jesus—crucified, risen, exalted— 
Peter’s hearers owed allegiance, for they were to be 
baptized into his name, that is, publicly to declare their 
faith in him and loyalty to him and their purpose to 
follow him. Peter also exhorted his hearers to “save 
themselves.” Join this with the quotation in Acts 2: 

, “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord 
shall be saved,” and v. 38, ‘“‘Unto the remission of your 
sins,”’ and it is plain that Peter proclaimed Jesus as’ 
the Deliverer from sin, or the Saviour. ‘With many 
other words he testified, and exhorted them” so it is 
evident that he explained more fully the significance 
of what has been so briefly outlined here by Luke, 
but these points are clearly the heart of Peter’s 
message. He taught that Jesus, the story of whose 
life and teaching we know through the Gospels, was 
the great Miracle Worker, who died on the cross of 
Calvary, rose again on the third day, ascended into 
heaven and is seated at the right hand of God, and 
is to be accepted as Saviour from sin and to be obeyed 
and followed as Lord. 


14 


THE MESSAGE OF THE TWELVE 


In the Temple. The apostles had not only 
listened to Jesus’ teaching; they had also caught his 
spirit. So when Peter and John went into the Temple, 
they were moved with sympathy for the lame man 
at the gate and in Jesus’ name healed him. Acts 3: 
1-10. The gathering of the crowd to see the man who 
had been so miraculously healed gave Peter an 
opportunity to preach to them. It was not yet 
evident that the followers of Jesus were to be a 
separate sect. They were Jews who believed that 
Jesus was the Christ and the Saviour, and who wished 
to persuade all the Jews to believe as they believed. 
The Temple was still the disciples’ place of worship, 
the house of God. So Peter preached Jesus to the 
multitudes who gathered in the Temple. Study what 
he said. Acts 3: 12-26. Note that what he taught at 
Pentecost is now taught again, in a little different 
way and with elaboration in places but with the same 
ereat facts and conclusions. The God they preached 
is the God the Jews knew, the God of the Old Testa- 
ment, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob. 
Their God had glorified Jesus who was the Servant 
referred to in the Old Testament. He had been 
crucified, but God had raised him from the dead. 
Of Jesus’ death his hearers knew; of his resurrection 
the apostles were witnesses. It was this risen Jesus 
who had made the lame man strong. Then Peter 
proclaimed Jesus as the Saviour from sin. Again he 
supported his claims by quoting the Old Testament 
Scriptures which he declared Jesus had fulfilled. 
Even Jesus’ suffering was a fulfillment of the Scrip- 
tures. Jesus fulfilled the promises of Moses and of 

15 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


Samuel and the prophets who followed him. Through 
Jesus, also, the promise to Abraham was to be 
fulfilled. 


Before the Council. Brought before the Jewish 
council, or sanhedrin, the highest court of the Jews, 
again Peter declared the chief facts concerning Jesus: 
that Jesus of Nazareth was crucified, that he rose 
again, and that he is the living Lord whose power had 
healed the lame man, that he is the One whose coming 
had been prophesied in the Old Testament Scriptures, 
and that in him, and in him alone, is salvation to be 
found. Acts 4: 10-12. 


--Summary. There can be no doubt concerning 
what the apostles taught. They declared not only 
that their teaching was in harmony with the Old 
Testament Scriptures but that the life and ministry 
of Jesus explained and fulfilled the Old Testament 
Scriptures. In fulfillment of the Old Testament 
Scriptures Jesus of Nazareth lived and taught and 
wrought his signs; he was crucified but rose again 
from the dead; he ascended into heaven; he sent his 
Spirit into the world; and he is the only Saviour from 
sin. 
QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 


“1. Make an outline or syllabus of Peter’s sermon at Pentecost. 


2. Indicate the parts of Peter’s sermon at Pentecost that 
would not readily be understood by hearers who knew nothing 
of the Old Testament or its religion, or who knew nothing of the 
current reports about Jesus. 

3. Where can present-day readers of Peter’s sermon at Pente- 
cost find the information which the multitudes possessed and 
which will make his sermon intelligible to them? 


16 


THE MESSAGE OF THE TWELVE 


4. Which of the four Gospels is generally said to give the 
personal testimony of Peter concerning Jesus? Why? Consult 
a Bible dictionary under ‘‘Gospels.”’ 

5. Make a list of the main points concerning Jesus which 
found a place in the preaching and teaching of the apostles at 
Pentecost, in the Temple, and before the sanhedrin. 

6. What truths or doctrines of the Christian religion did the 
apostles teach? 

7. Make a list of the most important teachings concerning 
Jesus which you have heard taught in the Church and compare 
the list with your answer to Question 5. 


Tuer Books or THE NEW TESTAMENT 


The Gospel :— Romans James 
According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
According to Mark II Corinthians IT Peter 
According to Luke Galatians I John 
According to John Ephesians II John 

The Acts Philippians III John 

Colossians Jude 

I Thessalonians Revelation 
II Thessalonians 

I Timothy 

II Timothy 

Titus 

Philemon 


Hebrews 


17 


CHAPTER III 
THE MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH 
Scripture Material to Be Read: Acts 2: 41 to 4: 37 


The Problems of the Chapter. At Pentecost 
the body of believersin Jesus, known as the Church, 
took up its work. What was that work? What 
different kinds of things did it do? Is the work of 
the Church to-day a development of the work oegun 
at Pentecost, or is it a departure from the work of 
the Church at Pentecost? Is the Church doing less 
or more to-day? Why? 


The Ministry of Teaching. The _ preceding 
chapter emphasized the thought that the Church, 
as an organized body of believers, was an institution 
ne a message. Jesus’ commission to the Church 

, “Go, teach.”” The most important heritage of 
ie (Ginn was its gospel, the message of salvation 
through Christ. 

Because the Church is a. teaching institution, 
teachers have always been given an important place 
in the Church. ‘Teaching’ is a word which may well 
be underscored in reading the New Testament. So 
we find that the believers who were won by the 
preaching of Peter and of the rest of the Twelve, 
“continued stedfastly in the apostles’ teaching,” 

\ Acts 2: 42, 
The teaching of the Church was primarily the 
18 


THE MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH 


gospel. This may readily be concluded from the 
account of the early Church in The Acts, and also 
from epistles of the New Testament which were 
written to the various churches and Christian workers. 
In teaching the gospel, the apostles assumed knowl- 
edge previously acquired by those whom they taught. 
The first members of the Church were Jews who had 
been taught the sacred Scriptures of the Old Testa- 
ment, who had been brought up in Jewish homes, and 
who had been instructed in the synagogue schools. 
Thus they had the religious instruction of the home 
and the synagogue. The work of the Church was to 
organize this knowledge about the central fact of 
Christ and his work as Saviour. The recorded ex- 
amples of the teaching of the apostles, as they went 
from place to place and taught in the synagogues, 
show this. 
But what would the apostles and missionaries do 
when they went to places where there was no in- 
struction. in the true religion in the homes? What 
would they do when they had to deal with people 
who had not been taught the Old Testament Scrip- 
tures and had not been instructed in the synagogue 
schools? Because the great task of the Church was 
the task of teaching, the Church would have to 
provide the necessary instruction to carry out its 
purpose. The Church must ground converts in the 
faith. Like the apostles in dealing with the Jews, 
the Church to-day assumes the education which the 
young receive in home and school, but whenever 
there is lack of this elementary education, the Church 
must itself provide it. In mission lands, therefore, 
19 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


we find the missionaries establishing schools for the 
education of the people and particularly for the 
education of its future leaders. In our own country 
most of the colleges were established by the Church 
for the education of its own leaders. 

The Church in the days of the apostles made pro- 
vision for ‘the education of its members and of its 
leadership, and the modern educational work of the 
Church is altogether in harmony with the apostolic 
example. 


The Ministry of Worship. Worship also had a 
large place in the ministry of the Church. The early 
converts of Pentecost continued stedfastly in ‘the 
prayers.” Acts 2: 42. This has been explained as 
“the prayers and Psalms of the old Jewish ritual, 
together with new supplications in which Jesus was 
invoked as Lord.”’ These were services of worship. 
The believers also worshiped in the Temple. Acts 2: 
46. There the apostles went at the hour of prayer. 
Acts 3: 1. When the apostles were released from 
prison, a meeting for prayer and praise was held. 
Acts 4: 23-31. ; 

As the New Testament Church availed itself of the 
education of the Old Testament Judaism, so the 
New Testament Church brought over also the Jewish 
practices of worship. They worshiped God with 
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. They en- 
gaged in prayer. Jesus himself had given the dis- 
ciples a guide in prayer. Matt.6:9-15. The followers 
of Jesus worshiped in the Temple and in the syna- 
gogues and in private homes. When they were driven 

20 


THE MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH 


from the synagogues they began to provide their 
own places of worship. 

The custom of having a church building for services 
of prayer and praise and the preaching of the Word is 
the natural outgrowth of the practice of the Church 
from the very first. 


The Ministry of the Sacraments. From the 
very beginning the Christian Church has observed 
two special ceremonies, appointed by Christ himself. 
These are the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s 
Supper. Peter taught that baptism—which was the 
sign of repentance, of cleansing from sin, of faith in 
Christ, and of loyalty to him—was to be adminis- 
tered to those who united with the Church. It was 
the sacrament of initiation. Acts 2: 38, 41. So Saul 
of Tarsus was baptized. Acts 9:18. So also was the 
Ethiopian baptized when he wished to declare his 
faith in Jesus as his Lord and Saviour. Acts 8: 38. 
In harmony with this practice at the very beginning 
of the New Testament Church, the sacrament of 
baptism is still the initiatory rite of the Christian 
Church. 

A second sacrament was observed in the Church. 
This was the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. This 
sacrament had been established by Jesus himself. 
Luke 22: 14-20. It was often referred to as “the 
breaking of bread.’”? From the very first this sacra- 
ment was observed in the New Testament Church as 
a memorial of Christ’s death. Compare Acts 20: 7 
and I Cor. 11: 17-34. 

The Church’s observance of these two sacraments 

21 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


to-day is a practice which has come down directly 
from the Church of the apostles, and can be traced 
back to the day of Pentecost and to the command of 
Jesus. 


The Ministry to Temporal Needs. Gratitude 
to God for his unspeakable gift of Christ as Saviour 
so filled the hearts of believers that their thankful- 
ness and joy overflowed in thoughtful and unselfish 
service to others. Spontaneously the believers brought 
their possessions into a common treasury out of | 
which the needs of all could be met. They fed the 
hungry and clothed the naked and visited the sick, 
thus fulfilling the teaching of Jesus. The Church 
became known in Jerusalem as an organization which 
ministered to the necessities of the poor. Acts 2: 
44-47; 4: 32, 34-37. The New Testament Church 
felt that it could not do otherwise. The love of God 
prompted them to show their own love in sympathetic 
and generous ministry to the temporal needs of others. 
Compare I John 3: 17. 

To-day the poor of the community are ministered 
to largely through charitable societies... A good part 
of the funds of these societies comes from givers 
whose spirit of kindness is largely the fruit of the 
ministry of the Church. But these funds are not 
administered directly by the Church. The workers 
also in these charitable organizations are largely 
recruited from the Church. Is it a loss or a gain 
when secular organizations instead of the Church 
take charge of the ministry of relief to the poor of 
the community? 

22 


THE MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH 


The Ministry of Healing. There were miracles 
of healing in the New Testament Church at its very 
beginning. Acts 2: 48; 3: 1-10. These miracles of 
healing were prompted by sympathy, and they were 
in accord with the example of Jesus, but they were 
signs of God’s approval of the Church and its gospel 
‘message, and of the apostles as the authorized repre- 
sentatives of Jesus. Not all the sick were healed. 
Paul himself, who at times wrought miracles of 
healing, did not heal some of his dearest friends, and 
his own “thorn in the flesh’? was not removed. The 
true conception is that the Church ministered to 
the sick, sometimes healing disease, but always giving 
comfort and sympathy and aid. 

The medical-missionary work of the Church to-day 
is parallel to this ministry of the Church in the days 
of the apostles. To the people of non-Christian lands 
the wonders wrought by physicians and surgeons in 
their ministry in the name of Christ are as marvelous 
as were the miracles of the apostles. Certainly the 
medical missionaries are prompted by the same 
motives as were the apostles, and their healing min- 
istry in a similar way opens the door for the preaching 
of the gospel. Following the example of the New 
Testament Church, the Church to-day has its hospitals 
and its nurses and its ministry to the sick. In non- 
Christian lands the first hospitals are established by 
the Christian missionary. The Christian. Church 
becomes known for its ministry to the sick. 


Summary. The Church, as it began its work at 
Pentecost and carried it on immediately after Pen- 


23 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


tecost, gave first place to its ministry of preaching and 
teaching. It maintained its services of worship and 
its observance of the sacraments of baptism and the 
Lord’s Supper. It also ministered to temporal 
needs, especially of its members, and carried on a 
ministry of healing. We find, therefore, that the 
Church, while putting the ministry of the Word and 
of prayer first, sought to minister to every need of 
man which was not met through some other agency. 


QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 


1. With what different educational situation would the 
Church have to deal among the Jews of Jerusalem and among the 
Gentiles of heathen lands? What corresponding difference would 
there be in the Church’s educational ministry of teaching? 


/ \/2,. How far did the Apostolic Church use the worship facilities 

and materials of the Jewish religion? When would it become 
necessary for the Christian Church to make full provision for its 
own ministry of worship? 


3. What were the sacraments of the Apostolic Church? What 
place do the sacraments have in the Church to-day? 


4. Why would the New Testament Church have to provide 
for its own poor? Is the Church’s obligation to the poor of the 
community greater or less to-day? What is the relation of the 
Church’s ministry to the temporal necessities of the community? 
to the community’s attitude toward the Church? 


5. Compare the apostles’ ministry of healing and the Church’s 
ministry of healing to-day. What is the difference in the testi- 
mony to Christ of community hospitals and dispensaries in 
Christian lands and the distinctively missionary hospitals in non- 
Christian lands? 


THE MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH 


Tue Books oF THE New TESTAMENT 


The Gospel:— 
According to Matthew 
According to Mark 
According to Luke 
According to John . 

The Acts 


Romans 

I Corinthians 
II Corinthians 
Galatians 
Ephesians 
Philippians 
Colossians 

I Thessalonians 
II Thessalonians 
I Timothy 

II Timothy 
Titus 

Philemon 
Hebrews 


James 

I Peter 

II Peter 

I John 

II John 
III John 
Jude 
Revelation 


CHAPTER IV 


THE CHURCH ORGANIZES FOR ITS 
MINISTRY 


Scripture Material to Be Read: Acts 1: 15-26; 6: 1-6 





The Problem of the Chapter. It is significant 
that the Church is often called in the New Testament 
“the body of Christ.”” This means that Jesus is 
the Church’s life, and that this life organizes about 
it a body through which to express itself and do its 
work. The Church, therefore, is to be viewed as 
alive, much as a human -body is alive. We may 
expect it to adapt itself to its task and to its environ- 
ment. The Church as an organization grew in 
numbers, but it also grew into its work. Jesus did 
not hand over to the Church a completed organization 
thoroughly worked out, any more than God gives to 
the plant a complete organization. He gives the 
seed and in that seed is the potential plant which 
will be formed as the seed develops in its environ- 
ment. The Holy Spirit was the controlling influence 
in the organization of the New Testament Church 
for its work. Thus the body of Christ, so far as its 
external organization is concerned, was developed. 
In this chapter we are to try to discover what were the 
beginnings of organization in the Christian Church. 


Jesus and Organization. That the apostles 
brought organization into the Church is not sur- 
26 


THE CHURCH ORGANIZES FOR ITS MINISTRY 


prising, for as disciples of Jesus they must have 
learned to lay emphasis upon organization. Jesus 
was an organizer. When the Pharisees took counsel 
with the Herodians how they might destroy Jesus, 
he appointed twelve that they might be with him 
and that he might send them forth to preach. Mark 
3: 6, 14. When the Pharisees and their allies or- 
ganized their campaign against Jesus, Jesus organized 
his own campaign for the achievement of his great 
purpose. 

When there were five thousand to be fed, Jesus 
had them sit down on the ground in companies, thus 
not only preventing the confusion which would be 
caused by the people moving about, but also facilitat- 
ing the orderly distribution of the food to the com- 
panies or ranks. Then he made the twelve apostles 
his directors in the distribution. In this way, by a 
simple organization, at the time of the emergency, 
he saw that the great undertaking was put through 
with ease and dispatch. Again, when he sent out the 
Seventy, he sent them out two by two. He planned 
carefully to cover in a systematic way the territory 
he wished to reach. So when he planned to have the 
Church carry out his Great Commission, he made the 
Twelve, whom he had taught and trained, the leaders 
in the work of the Church, sent the Holy Spirit 
to be the guide of the Church, and depended upon the 
trained apostles, under the guidance of the Spirit, to 
organize the Church to meet every emergency. This, 
we find, is exactly what took place in the New Testa- 
ment Church, as we follow its story as Luke tells it 
in The Acts. 

27 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


The Twelve. At the beginning the Church was 
under the direction of the Twelve whom Jesus had 
himself taught and trained. Mark 3: 138-19; Eph. 4: 
11. That the Twelve were the nucleus of the Church’s 
organization was recognized by the apostles: them- 
selves. While they were waiting for the coming of the 
Holy Spirit, according to the command and promise 
of Jesus, they must have been thinking of the work 
of the Church, and particularly of the organization 
which was to carry on the work, for Peter called 
attention to the fact that the disloyalty and death of 
Judas had disrupted their organization. Jesus had 
appointed twelve to be leaders and directors in the 
Church, and now there were but eleven. Accordingly 
he suggested that they should proceed with a plan 
to secure a substitute for Judas, to complete the 
organization Jesus had in mind. Matthias was 
therefore chosen by lot. Acts 1: 15-26. 

- That the apostleship was a temporary office in the 
Church is evident from the requirements for this 
office, Acts 1: 21, 22. An apostle must have been 
with Jesus from the beginning, so that he could bea 
first-hand witness of what Jesus had said and done. 
It was necessary also that he should have continued 
with Jesus until his death and resurrection, so that 
he might witness to these two great facts in the life 
and ministry of Jesus. The apostleship, therefore, 
eould not be a permanent. office in the Church, but the 
Twelve constituted the nucleus of the organization 
at the beginning of the New Testament Church. 
Paul was the special apostle to the Gentiles. While 
he had not followed with Jesus from the beginning, 
28 


THE CHURCH ORGANIZES FOR ITS MINISTRY 


he received his gospel message directly from Christ, 
and through his vision of Jesus on the way to Damas- 
cus became a witness to his resurrection. I Cor. 9: 
1; 15: 1-10; Acts 9: 1-9. The term ‘‘apostle” was 
sometimes used in a less technical sense in the New 
Testament, the word having in these instances the 
ordinary sense of “one sent.”’ Thus it is applied to 
Barnabas. Compare Acts 18: 3 and 14: 4, 14. 

In Chapter III we saw that the great task of the 
Church was the work of teaching. Accordingly the 
apostles were primarily teachers, for they had been 
with Jesus and learned of him, and they were wit- 
nesses of the resurrection. They were able to pass 
on to others the teaching of Jesus, to tell of his life 
and ministry, and to witness to his resurrection. So 
the Church, as it began its ministry, was organized 
first for its primary task of teaching under the leader- 
ship and direction and authority of the apostles. 

The worship of the Church and the administering 
of the sacraments were also under the direction of 
the apostles. They called the people to repentance 
and baptism. They led in the observance of the 
Lord’s Supper. They had direction of the ministry 
of the word and the prayers. Thus the very simple 
organization of the Church under the spiritual leader- 
ship of the Twelve met the needs immediately 
following Pentecost. 


Deacons. ‘The Church soon faced a new situ- 
ation, however. As we saw in Chapter III, the 
Church not only maintained its ministry of teaching 
and worship and the sacraments, but it had its 

29 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


ministry to the poor. With great unselfishness the 
members of the Church called nothing their own, 
but brought their possessions to the apostles and 
deposited them in a common fund on which the 
apostles could draw to meet the needs of the poor. 
At this point the growing Church found its first need 
for organization to meet a new element in its ministry. 
Burdened with their responsibilities and duties in 
connection with the ministry of teaching, worship, 
and the sacraments, the apostles found that they 
could not administer the poor funds with efficiency. 
Yet the poor must be cared for, and the apostles 
must not turn aside from the primary work of their 
spiritual ministry. The solution of the difficulty was 
found in organization. Provision was made in the 
Church for a new office. Deacons were appointed to 
have oversight of the material interests of the Church, 
under the direction of the apostles. In the Christian 
Church everything must be done decently and in 
order, and organization must be planned to this end. 
In the appointment of deacons, whose work it was to 
administer the poor fund of the Church, we find in 
operation the principle that the Church is to organize 
itself for the efficient performance of its ministry. 


Elders. In view of the fact that the apostleship 
was not permanent, because the apostles must be 
men who had been with Jesus and witnessed his 
resurrection, the time was coming when the Church 
must be under the direction of leaders who had re- 
ceived the gospel from others and who believed in 
the resurrection of Jesus on the testimony of others. 

30 


THE CHURCH ORGANIZES FOR ITS MINISTRY 


After the apostles there must be in the Church 
officers who would have the oversight of the teaching, 
worship, and sacramental ministry of the Church. 
Provision was made for this in the appointment of 
elders. The eldership in the New Testament Church 
will be considered in Chapter XIII. 


Particular Churches. The Church began its 
work in Jerusalem with one hundred and twenty 
disciples under the leadership of the Twelve.. On the 
day of Pentecost three thousand members were 
added to the Church. Acts 2:41. Soon the Church 
had grown to such an extent that there were about 
five thousand adult male members in the Church, if 
we are to interpret the Greek word ‘“‘men”’ in its strict 
sense. Five thousand could scarcely be accommodated 
in any building which was available for Christian 
worship. Smaller groups would have to be formed 
for instruction in Christian doctrine. As Jews, the 
believers in Jesus were accustomed to synagogues or 
separate congregations for worship in Jerusalem. We 
should naturally expect, therefore, that the believers 
in Jerusalem would form a number of congregations, 
meeting in homes or in other convenient places. 
These congregations would be under the particular 
oversight of elders, as the synagogues had been. As 
the Church spread from Jerusalem to other places, 
following the persecution in Jerusalem, groups of 
Christians would be formed for instruction and 
worship. These groups would need to be organized 
into what have been called particular churches. We 
know that when Paul and his companions were on 

3l 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


their missionary journeys and won converts, they 
organized congregations or churches and elders were 
appointed and put in authority over the churches. 
Acts 14: 23. If occasion demanded it, deacons also 
might be appointed. 


Summary. The Church is the body of Christ, 
organized to perform its ministry, and its organiza- 
tion is flexible enough to make it adaptable to changing 
needs and conditions. The Church began with the 
simple direction of the apostles, who had been trained 
by Jesus himself for their ministry as witnesses. The . 
apostles had the direction of the ministry of worship 
and teaching and the sacraments. As the Church 
took up its ministry of the temporal needs of its 
members, deacons were appointed to have the over- 
sight of this special ministry, that the apostles might 
be free to give themselves to their special and more 
important ministry of the word and of prayer. Pro- 
vision was made for the oversight and direction of 
the Church after the death of the apostles by the 
election of elders who would, as far as this was possible, 
carry on their ministry. As the Church grew, separate 
congregations were organized, under the immediate 
oversight of elders, but at first under the higher 
authority of the apostles. Thus we find the Church 
adapting its organization to its task and to its en- 
vironment, but always keeping its organization 
subservient to its ministry. 


QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 


1. What examples can you find in the Gospels of Jesus’ use 
of system and organization? 


32 


THE CHURCH ORGANIZES FOR ITS MINISTRY 


2. How did the apostles, even before Pentecost, show their 
recognition of the importance of organization in the Church? 


3. Study the passages in the New Testament which refer to 
the Church as the body of Christ and be prepared to show what 
principles these passages teach concerning organization in the 
Church. The passages can be found by consulting a good Bible 
concordance under “‘body.”’ 


4. Prepare to report to the class concerning the form of 
organization in the Jewish synagogue and to compare this with 
the organization in the Apostolic Church. See a good Bible 
dictionary under “Synagogue,” or see ““The Life and Times of 
Jesus the Messiah,” by Edersheim, Vol. I, Book III, Chapter X. 

5. What does the incident of the Beeton of deacons show 
concerning the apostles’ view of the primary function of the 
Church? 

6. What does the incident of the election of teas show 


concerning the attitude of the apostles toward organization in 
the Ch arch? 


THE BooKS OF THE New TESTAMENT 7 


The Gospel:— Romie oy; ames 
According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
_ According to Mark II Corinthians If Peter 
According to Luke Galatians I- John 
According to John -: Ephesians Ii John 
The Acts Philippians III John 
_ Cologsians _Jude 
I Thessalonians Revelation 
II Thessalonians 
I Timothy 
II Timothy 
Titus 
Philemon 


Hebrews 


33 


CHAPTER V 
THE CONFLICT WITH JUDAISM 


Scripture Material to Be Read: Acts 3:1 to 8:1; 9:1,2 


The Problem of the Chapter. Why could not 
believers in Jesus continue as a sect within Judaism? 


The Church as a Jewish Sect. Jesus was born 
of a Jewish mother, was brought up in a Jewish home 
according to the Jewish customs, and was taught in 
the Jewish synagogue school. The God Jesus re- 
vealed was the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of 
Jacob. Jesus worshiped in the Jewish Temple, 
attended and taught in the synagogue, observed the 
Jewish feasts, and knew and used the books of the 
Old Testament, which were the sacred Scriptures of 
the Jews. 

The twelve apostles were Jews, brought up accord- 
ing to the Jewish traditions. They also worshiped 
in the Temple, attended the synagogue, and observed 
the feasts. Even after the death and resurrection of 
Jesus they continued to go to the Temple and to 
observe many of the Jewish customs. At first, 
therefore, the Church, which was composed of be- 
lievers in Jesus, was a company within Judaism who 
believed that the Messiah had come. 

These believers were eager to persuade others of 
their nation and religion to believe in Jesus as the 
Messiah and Saviour. This sect within Judaism 

34 


THE CONFLICT WITH JUDAISM 


grew from one hundred and twenty believers to three 
thousand and then to five thousand. Soon it became 
evident that this sect of believers in Jesus could not 
continue within the fold of Judaism. Jesus had 
taught that a new patch of cloth cannot be sewed on 
an old garment without rending it, Matt. 2: 21, and 
so Christianity could not be made a part of the 
fabric of traditional and legalistic Judaism. ‘There 
were essential differences between Judaism and 
Christianity which made inevitable the separation 
of the two. What were these differences? This 
chapter will attempt to answer this question by an 
examination of the events which are described in 
The Acts, in connection with the beginning of the 
persecution of the Church of Judaism. 


The Conflict of the Apostles. Jesus had been 
crucified on the authority of Pilate, the Roman 
governor, or procurator, through the pressure of 
popular demand, which was in turn prompted and 
guided by the Jewish leaders. After Pentecost the 
Church was at first not unpopular in Jerusalem. 
The joy of the disciples, the ministry of the Church 
to the poor, and the healing miracles of the apostles 
combined to make the Church popular with the 
people. They felt toward the Church much as the 
multitudes had at first felt toward Jesus. But the 
same influences which had turned popular opinion 
against Jesus now began to exert themselves against 
the Church. } 

When the apostles healed the lame man in the 
Temple, Acts 3: 1-10, they took advantage of the 

35 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


opportunity to teach the crowd which assembled. 
Peter and John made plain that they preached the 
God of the Jews, the God of Abraham and of Isaac 
and of Jacob, the God of the Old Testament Scrip- 
tures, but they proceeded to teach that Jesus of 
Nazareth was the Servant promised in the Old 
Testament Scriptures. Jesus was the Christ whose 
coming had been foretold again and again through- 
out the Jewish Scriptures by prophet after prophet, 
and his suffering and death had been an essential 
part of his work as the Saviour from sin. 

It was at this point that the persecution began. 
“The priests and. the captain of the temple and the 
Sadducees came upon them, being sore troubled 
because they taught the people, and proclaimed in 
Jesus the resurrection from the dead.” Acts 4: 1, 2. 

Two points are to be noted. The first point is 
that the Sadducees, who were the most powerful 
sect of the Jews politically, were what we would call 
materialists. They did not believe in a spirit which 
would survive death, and so they did not believe in 
a resurrection of the dead. On this question of the 
resurrection they had tried to trap Jesus. Mark 12: 
18-27. On this question Paul later easily divided 
the sanhedrin into two bitterly contending factions. 
Because Peter and John proclaimed the resurrection 
of the dead, and based their certainty concerning this 
doctrine upon the fact of Jesus’ resurrection, they 
would instantly array against them the powerful 
Sadducees who were in control of the Jewish state. 

The second point to keep in mind is that the apostles 
proclaimed that Jesus was the Christ and the Saviour. 

36 


THE CONFLICT WITH JUDAISM 


But Jesus had been rejected by the Jewish authorities 
and had been condemned to death and crucified. If 
Jesus was risen again, and if Jesus was indeed the 
Christ, then the official heads of the Jewish religion 
were entirely discredited. Every mention of Jesus, 
therefore, aroused the antagonism of the Jewish 
authorities. See Acts 4:17, 18; 5: 28,40. The issue 
was clearly drawn by Peter when he said to the council, 
both Sadducees and Pharisees: ‘“‘He is the stone 
which was set at nought of you the builders, which was 
made the head of the corner. And in none other is 
there salvation: for neither is there any other name 
under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we 
must be saved.” Acts 4: 11, 12. If the Christian 
Church was right, the Jewish authorities were wrong. 
The two could not continue together unless either 
the Jewish authorities should confess their error or 
the Church should renounce its faith in Jesus as the 
risen Christ. 


The Popular Issue. Persecution of the Church 
could not be carried on by the Jewish council without 
the support of the people, any more than Jesus could 
have been crucified if the leaders had not won the 
support of the populace. On many occasions they 
had feared the people and so had kept hands off 
Jesus. So now, because of the popularity of the 
apostles, the authorities were afraid to do more than 
threaten them. The authorities must carry out their 
purpose through popular appeal. There must be 
some reasons therefore why the Jews as a people 
could be turned against the believers in Jesus. These 

37 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


reasons were not lacking, for there were fundamental 
teachings and practices of the Church on which 
popular antipathy could be based... 

The growth of the enmity against Jesus himself 
during his ministry is traced with special clearness 
and brevity by Mark. Ch. 2:1to3:6. The scribes 
had become indignant because Jesus claimed divine 
prerogatives, and because he set aside the righteous- 
ness of the Pharisees, which was based upon the 
scrupulous observance of the traditional interpreta- 
tions of the law, and demanded righteousness of the 
heart. F 

There would be the same ground of opposition to 
the Church on the part of the Jews who did not see 
that Jesus was the Christ, for the apostles taught as 
Jesus had taught. The Church worshiped Jesus as 
Lord. They ascribed to him attributes and pre- 
rogatives which were divine. He was the Son of 
God. Unless the Jews could be led to accept the 
doctrine of the Holy Trinity, they could think of the 
teaching and practice of the Church only as blas- 
phemy, as the deification of a man, or as belief in 
more than one God. To them the Church -was 
guilty of polytheism or idolatry, the sin which had 
brought upon the Jewish nation all its troubles and 
of which it had been thoroughly cured by the exile. 

The Church also set aside the way of salvation 
through the observance of the Mosaic law, and 
preached the gospel of salvation by faith in Christ 
in whom is to be found remission of sins and eternal 
life. The Church likewise followed the teaching of 
Jesus. when he said: ‘The hour cometh, when 

38 


THE CONFLICT WITH JUDAISM 


neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem shall ye 
worship the Father. .. . But the hour cometh, and 
now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the 
Father in spirit and truth: for such doth the Father 
seek to be his worshippers.” John 4: 21, 23. The 
Church no longer felt its dependence upon the Temple 
and its sacrifices. 

A Church which taught the deity of Jesus while 
Judaism declared that this was blasphemy, which 
held to the doctrine of salvation by faith in Christ 
while Judaism taught salvation by the works of the 
law, and which put Christ crucified in the place of 
the Temple and its sacrifices, could not remain within 
the Jewish fold. Persécution was inevitable. It 
was only a question of time until the Jewish authorities 
would be able to convince the multitudes that the 
believers in Jesus were the enemies of the true re- 
ligion. The authorities could make the issue: “Shall 
we accept the teaching of the apostles concerning 
Jesus, or shall we hold to the religion of our fathers?” 


The Martyrdom of Stephen. The open perse- 
cution of the Church by Judaism began with the 
martyrdom of Stephen. He was one of the seven 
deacons chosen to “serve tables,” but he was more 
than an administrator of the poor funds of the Church. 
He ‘‘was full of grace and power” and “‘wrought great 
wonders and signs among the people.” Thoroughly 
versed in the Scriptures and possessing a clear view 
of the meaning of the Old Testament in the light of 
the ministry of Jesus, Stephen proclaimed with great 
power that Jesus was the Christ. The violent 

39 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


opposition began in certain synagogues of Jerusalem 
in which worshiped Jews who had come from Gentile 
countries. The sojourn in Gentile lands seems to 
have made them the more intensely loyal to the 
Jewish traditions. They looked upon Stephen as an 
enemy of Judaism. The opposition now included 
all classes: the people; the elders, or rulers; and the 
scribes, or official teachers. Acts 6: 12. 

Stephen was seized and brought before the council, 
or sanhedrin, for a hearing. False witnesses were 
brought against him, but, although their testimony 
perverted Stephen’s teaching, their charges evidently 
were based on what Stephen had said. They claimed 
that Stephen had spoken against the Temple and the 
law. In this we see reflected the teaching of Jesus 
himself, who had told the woman of Samaria that 
God could be worshiped anywhere, had foretold the 
destruction of the Temple, and had denounced the 
Pharisees who prided themselves upon their righteous- 
ness because they had observed the details of the law 
of Moses as it was interpreted in their traditions but 
were not right with God in their hearts. 

Stephen’s purpose in his defense before the council 
has been variously interpreted. Some have expressed 
the opinion that it is a rambling talk suddenly ending 
in a bitter denunciation of the leaders of Judaism, 
but it would be well for the student to read the 
address with the two chief points in the accusation 
against Stephen in mind, namely, that Stephen had 
spoken against ‘‘this holy place,” or the Temple, and 
against the law, or the customs which Moses had 
delivered. 


40 


THE CONFLICT WITH JUDAISM 


As we read the defense in this way, a number of 
points stand out. The first is that Stephen traced 
the progressive way in which God had dealt with Israel 
from the time of Abraham on. God’s promise was 
fulfilled and his purpose worked out a step at a time, 
each an advance over that which preceded. The 
‘plain implication is that the coming, the life, and the 
teaching of Jesus marked a new step in God’s fulfill- 
ment of his promise and purpose. We note, too, 
that Stephen referred to the promised prophet, “‘like 
-unto Moses,’’ who was to come, and his plain im- 
plication, as his hearers would understand, was that 
this great prophet like unto Moses was Jesus. The 
witnesses had charged that Stephen had spoken 
against the Temple, an accusation which had been 
brought also against Jesus, but Stephen brought out 
that the Temple came after years of God’s dealing 
‘with his chosen people, and even when it was built 
and dedicated Solomon understood that God could 
not dwell in temples made with hands. Compare 
I Kings 8: 27 and Acts 7: 47-50: The true religion 
had begun without the Temple and it could survive 
the destruction of the Temple. Observe, also, the 
charge of Stephen, which runs through the whole 
address, that the Children of Israel had ever rejected 
the prophets of God. Moses they had refused. In 
' the wilderness they turned from him and asked Aaron 
to make them a calf to worship.’ The prophets they 
had put to death. What they had done to Jests 
was altogether in harmony with what the nation had 
done to the messengers of God all through its history. 
But Moses proved to be Israel’s deliverer and law- 

41 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


giver, and so would Christ prove to be their Messiah. 
“They had always been rebellious against God, and 
now, in rejecting the teaching of the Church, they 
were doing as their fathers had done before them. 

When the members of the council were charged 
with the murder of the Messiah, rage destroyed the 
last remnant of their self-control. In a fury they 
rushed upon Stephen, dragged him out of the city, 
and stoned him to death. 


The Persecution by Saul. The smoldering 
embers of persecution now burst into flames. The 
soul of young Saul of Tarsus, a devoted son of Judaism, 
student of Gamaliel, and proud Pharisee, was set on 
fire. With all the fury of his fanatic zeal he gave 
himself to the task of rooting out from Judaism 
believers in Jesus. ‘There would be no rest for the 
Church of Christ within the fold of Judaism. Even 
to foreign cities he pursued the disciples of Jesus in 
his relentless campaign of threats and arrest and im- 
prisonment and even death. 


Summary. The New Testament Church.began 
as a group of believers in Jesus within Judaism. 
Faith in Jesus as Son of God and as the Christ, 
however, was so contrary to the traditions of the 
Jews that the Church could not long continue to be a 
sect within the Jewish fold. The conflict began 
with the Sadducees because the apostles preached 
Jesus and the resurrection, but extended to the 
other leaders of the Jews because the claim that 
Jesus was the Christ discredited them and made 

42 


THE CONFLICT WITH JUDAISM 


them the murderers of the Messiah. The faith of 
the disciples in Jesus as the Son of God and in the 
doctrine of salvation by faith instead of salvation by 
the law, and their neglect of the external forms of 
the established religion for the great essentials of 
religion of heart and life, gave additional ground for 
antipathy. Soon the people joined in the opposition. 
Stephen was stoned to death, and Saul of Tarsus 
became the leader in the campaign to root out the 
Church from the field of Judaism. This is the 
beginning of that great movement, traced in The 
Acts, by which the Church became primarily the 
Church of the Gentiles 


oA QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 


1. Why would the Church at first be a sect within Judaism? 
What did the Church and Judaism have in common? 

2. Why would there be conflict between the Church and 
Judaism? 

3. What led to the conflict between the apostles and the 
Jewish authorities? 


4, About what did the authorities seem to be most concerned 
when they warned and threatened the apostles after the healing 
of the lame man? Compare Acts 4: 17, 18; 5: 28, 40. 


5. How did the teaching and practices of the Church become 
a/popular issue? 


6. What was the immediate effect of Stephen’s martyrdom? 


43 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


THe Books OF THE NEw TESTAMENT 


The Gospel:— 
According to Matthew 
According to Mark 
According to Luke 
According to John 

The Acts ~ 


Romans 

I Corinthians 

II Corinthians 
Galatians 
Ephesians 
Philippians 
Colossians 

I Thessalonians 
II Thessalonians 


I Timothy 


II Timothy 
Titus 
Philemon 
Hebrews 


44 


James 

I Peter, _ 
II Peter 

IT John 

II John 
III John 
Jude © 
Revelation 


CHAPTER VI 
THE SPREAD OF THE CHURCH 


Scripture Material to Be Read: Acts 8: 1-40; 9: 32 
to 11: 18; The Epistle of James 


The Problems of the Chapter. What was the 
result of the dispersion of the believers in Jesus and 
what had this dispersion to do with the writing of 
the New Testament? 


The Scattered Disciples. On the day in which 
Stephen suffered martyrdom there “arose . . . a great 
persecution against the church which was in Jeru- 
salem,” and the disciples “were all scattered abroad 
throughout the regions of Judza and Samaria, 
except the apostles.” Acts 8:1. Wherever the be- 
lievers in Jesus went, they preached Christ. New 
believers were won and churches began to be organized 
throughout Judea and Samaria and in more distant 
provinces. 

A discerning reading of the story of the spread of 
the Church reveals the fact that the Church was not 
left to the vicissitudes of chance. Jesus had com- 
manded his disciples to wait in Jerusalem until the 
Holy Spirit should come. Acts 1: 4-6. Previously 
he had told them that the Holy Spirit would be their 
Guide and Teacher; he would reveal the truth to 
them and bring to their remembrance the things of 
Christ. John 14: 26; 16: 12-14. So Jesus, through 

45 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


his Spirit, was directing the spread of the Church. 
This direction was sometimes through Christian 
workers who scarcely understood the full import of 
the steps they were taking; at other times it was 
through the conscious and deliberate planning of 
those who were charged with the oversight of the 
Church. 


The Leading of Circumstances. The persecu- 
tion of the Church in Jerusalem led the members of 
the Church to seek homes elsewhere. No doubt 
many families were led by personal reasons to seek 
homes in particular localities. Some sought refuge 
in towns or villages in Judea. Others turned to 
Samaria. Acts 8: 1. Others went to Lydda and 
Joppa. Acts 9: 382, 36. Philip finally settled in 
Cesarea. Still others went as far as Phoenicia and 
Cyprus and Antioch. By this process, which looked 
like an unguided dispersion of the disciples, under the 
providential direction of God many centers of 
Christian influence were established. 


The Direction of the Apostles. The scattered 
groups of believers were not without the oversight 
and direction of the apostles. When Philip met 
with great success in his evangelistic work in Samaria, 
the apostles in Jerusalem sent Peter and John to 
Samaria to see that the church there was being 
properly conducted. Acts 8: 4-25. 

We find also that Peter visited the churches of 
Judea. Acts 9: 382. It was on one of these tours of 
oversight that he came to Lydda and healed Aineas, 

46 


-THE SPREAD OF THE CHURCH 


and to Joppa and raised Dorcas. Acts 9: 32-43. 
We are, therefore, to think of the Church at this 
time as composed of a great number of scattered con- 
gregations which were under the close supervision of 
the apostles. 


Preaching, Example, and Signs. The account 
of Luke throws light upon the method by which new 
disciples were won. The great agency was preaching. 
Everywhere the believers went, they preached Christ. 
No doubt following the example of Peter in his 
sermon on the day of Pentecost and in his address in 
the Temple, the believers in Jesus would tell the 
story of Jesus’ life and teaching and show how he 
fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament Serip- 
tures concerning the Messiah. Then they would 
proclaim the way of salvation through faith in Christ 
crucified and would invite those who repented of 
their sins, and wished to declare their faith in Christ, 
to be baptized and unite with the Church. 

The message of the believers in Jesus was made 
more effective by their example. Their courage in 
the face of danger, their peace in the midst of trouble 
and trial, their gladness of heart in spite of persecu- 
tion and hardship, would lead those to whom they 
preached to believe that these disciples of Jesus had 
something which satisfied the human heart. Their 
unselfishness, shown in loving service, also was a 
testimony to their Lord. Their coming into a com- 
munity brought inspiration and hope and help. 

The spread of the Church was aided, also, by the 
miracle-working power of the apostles and certain 

47 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


leaders chosen by the Spirit of God for this special 
testimony. Philip’s miracles of healing won many 
converts in Samaria; Peter’s healing of A‘neas gave 
the gospel added power in the plain of Sharon; and 
his raising of Dorcas helped to spread the gospel 
throughout the city of Joppa. Acts 8:6, 7; 9: 82-43. 


The Guiding of the Spirit. The progress of the 
Church is not to be explained merely by the scattering 
of the disciples and the wise direction of the Church 
by the apostles. Throughout the story of the 
Apostolic Church, as told by Luke, we see the guiding 
mind of the Spirit of God. He was planning a 
campaign, the full import of which even the apostles 
did not see and understand at the time. 

The Church began as a sect of Judaism, but 
Christianity was destined to become the religion of 
the world. The persecution of the Church by 
Judaism was the first step toward making the Church 
world-wide. In casting out the Church, Judaism 
was preparing the way for the Church to carry on 
its world-wide work unhampered by its relation to 
Judaism. But the process by which the Church 
was emancipated from the limitations of Judaism 
was gradual, even in the minds of the apostles. 

When the disciples went to new communities, 
they went there as Jews and they preached to Jews. 
It was a long time before they thought of preaching 
to the Gentiles at all, Acts 11: 19. With their 
Jewish views and habits of thought, the disciples 
would have to be led out into a broader conception of 
the Kingdom of God and of the Church. We can 

48 


THE SPREAD OF THE CHURCH 


trace the preparation for the Church among the 
Gentiles, as it was directed by the Holy Spirit. 

Philip preached in Samaria, but the way had no 
doubt been prepared for him by the visit of Jesus 
himself in Samaria. In the city of Sychar Jesus 
had won many believers at the time of his conversa- 
tion with the woman by the well. John 4:4-42. In 
spite of the antipathy between the Jews and the 
Samaritans they had much in common, for the 
Samaritan Scriptures were the Pentateuch of the 
Jews, and both claimed to worship the one true God 
and looked for the Messiah, John 4: 25. Yet 
Philip’s encounter with Simon the sorcerer would help 
to suggest the problem of the Church’s dealing with 
those who did not have the same views and ideals as 
the disciples who had been brought up in Judaism. 

When Philip was sent by the Holy Spirit down to 
the desert road near Gaza to talk with the Ethiopian, 
he dealt with one who had been a convert to Judaism, 
and who had come to worship in the Temple -at 
Jerusalem. ‘The departure of the Ethiopian to his 
own country as a believer in Jesus and as a member 
of the Church would help to give the leaders of the 
Church a wider view of its mission and of the far- 
reaching application of the gospel. 

Under the guidance of the Spirit another step was 
soon taken. A Roman centurion in Cesarea, who 
was a worshiper of the true God, was directed by an 
angel to send to Joppa for Simon Peter. Probably 
Philip was in Cesarea, but this was a case where the 
authority of an apostle would be needed. Peter by 
a vision was prepared to answer the call. The descent 

49 


~ 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


of the Holy Spirit upon Cornelius and his friends 
showed clearly that these Gentiles should receive the 
rite of baptism and be welcomed into the Church. 
This was an event of special significance. As the 
Church thought upon it, its importance began to be 
recognized. ‘The Church up to this time was com- 
posed of those who had conformed to many of the 
requirements of the Jewish religion, but here a man 
was welcomed into the Church who was in no sense 
a Jew, although he worshiped the God of the Jews. 
Cornelius came directly from the Gentile fold into the 
Church. But so clear had been the direction of the 
Holy Spirit in this that the propriety of the course 
taken could not be denied. See Acts 11: 1-18. The 
Spirit was leading the Church to see that it was not 
necessary for Gentiles to become Jews in order to 
become Christians. The Church was not to be a 
Jewish sect, although it sprang out of Judaism. 

The Church had now grown into a great number of 
scattered congregations, but. these congregations 
were largely composed of Jewish believers in Jesus 
who were still in relationship to the synagogue and 
observed many of the Jewish customs. 


A Letter to the Churches. At this point we 
find our first example of the origin of the books of 
the New Testament. We have noted that the Church 
was under the supervision of the apostles whose 
practice it was to visit the congregations and to 
supervise and direct their worship and work. The 
oversight of the churches, however, was not limited 
to personal visitation. Frequently written com- 

. 50 


THE SPREAD OF THE CHURCH 


munications were sent to them. The very earliest 
of these which we have is The Epistle of James. 
This epistle is included among the New Testament 
books called the ‘‘General Epistles,’ because it is 
not addressed to a particular church. 


The Marks of Time. Read through The Epistle 
of James and see what marks of time you can discover. 
Observe that it is addressed ‘“‘to the twelve tribes 
which are of the Dispersion,’ ch.1:1. At first we 
might think that this means that the letter is ad- 
dressed to Jews scattered throughout the world, for 
there were Jewish settlements all over the Roman 
Empire. Strabo, about 63 B.c. to A.D. 24, says, 
“Already a Jewish population has entered every city.” 
The Jews occupied five wards of the great commercial 
city of Alexandria in Africa. They had penetrated 
to the banks of the Danube and to the remote cdasts 
of Spain. There were seven synagogues in Rome. 
See Uhlhorn, “Conflict of Christianity with Heathen- 
ism,” pp. 83, 84. But this letter is addressed to 
Jews who believed in Jesus. The fact that the 
believers in Jesus are addressed as ‘“‘the twelve 
tribes” shows that the Church was still a sect of 
Judaism. There was no distinction between Jewish 
and Gentile believers. Also we observe that the. 
congregation of believers is called a synagogue, 
James 2: 2, the word which was commonly used of 
the Jews’ place of worship. The usual New Testa- 
ment word for “church” is ekklesia. Many con- 
gregations had been organized with elders. James 5: 
14. Thus we find that The Epistle of James was 

dl 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


written to meet needs in the Church during the days 
when it was spreading among the Jews through the 
testimony of those who were scattered abroad by the 
persecution which followed the death of Stephen. 
The Epistle of James is therefore generally believed 
to be the oldest book of the New Testament and 1 is 
dated about A.D. 45. 


The Author of the Epistle. This letter to the 
scattered churches was written by James, but what 
James? Because the author does not call himself 
an apostle, and James the apostle died in the perse- 
cution of Herod in a.p. 44, it is generally believed 
that the author was James the brother of our Lord, 
who became the head of the church in Jerusalem and 
presided at the councils of the Church there. 'Com- 
pare Acts 12:1, 2 and 17; 15:13; 21:18. It was quite 
appropriate therefore that he, as the presiding ‘officer 
of the church in Jerusalem, should send this letter 
to the churches. No doubt copies were made and 
circulated and read to the various congregations » 


Situations with Which the Epistle Deals. It 
is not the purpose of this chapter to give an outline 
of the book, or to present a study of its contents, but 
to draw to the surface the situations with which the 
epistle deals. 

Many members of the churches had been compelled 
to leave Jerusalem because of persecution. Even in 
the various cities to which they fled they would still 
be subject to some measure of persecution. At least 
they would find it difficult to live up to their moral 


52 


THE SPREAD OF THE CHURCH 


and religious standards as disciples of Jesus. So 
James spoke of the trials and temptations which they 
were called upon to endure and urged patience and 
steadfastness. James 1: 2-4, 12-18. 

Because the Church was primarily a teaching in- 
stitution, two problems would be raised concerning 
the truth. One of these would be the attitude of 
the members of the Church toward their teachers and 
what they taught. James urged that they should 
listen with humble and open minds and become doers 
of what they heard. Ch. 1: 19-27. On.the other 
hand, because every believer became a witness for 
Christ, there would be danger that insufficiently in- 
structed members of the Church might take upon 
themselves the responsibilities of teachers. So James 
warned against the improper assumption of this 
office, and urged a very careful control of the power 
of speech, prompted by right motives and accom- 
panied by conduct in harmony with the truth. Ch. 8. 

One of the weaknesses which James had to rebuke 
was the tendency to cater to the rich and influential. . 
This attitude was so unfitting in disciples of Jesus 
that James condemned it with the utmost severity. 
Ch, 2: 1-13. 

.There was need also of dealing with the relation of 
faith to life. —The Jews were prone to think they were 
right with God on the basis of their knowledge and 
acceptance of the truth. Jesus had said that they 
thought they were saved by searching the Scriptures. 
John 5: 39. Because the Church proclaimed salva- 
tion by faith in Jesus, some seemed to think that 
faith in Christ was all that was required of them. 

; 53 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


James therefore insisted that faith and works were 
inseparable and that Christian living was the evidence 
of real Christian faith. Ch. 2: 14-26. 

James observed also the need of warning the mem- 
bers of the Church against letting the cares of this 
world choke the word in their lives. He warned his 
readers against forgetting God in their business 
plans, and against putting wealth and material 
comfort above the needs of the soul and the service 
of Christ. Worldliness and materialism had been 
the very sins which led the Jews to crucify Jesus. 


Summary. The disciples, scattered from Jérusa- 
lem by the persecution which followed Stephen’s 
death, preached Christ in Judea and Samaria and in 
more distant places, and churches were formed. At 
first the disciples preached only to Jews, and the 
churches were groups of Jewish believers in Jesus 
under the close supervision of the apostles. While 
still composed largely of believing Jews, the Church 
‘ was being prepared for its world-wide mission by 
such experiences as the successful work of Philip in 
Samaria, the baptism of the Ethiopian proselyte, and 
especially the baptism of the Gentile Cornelius. To 
the scattered churches of this early period of New 
Testament history, James, the brother of our Lord, 
wrote his epistle, the earliest of the New Testament 
books. 


QUESTIONS FOR Stupy AND ASSIGNMENT 


1. Locate on the map the various places mentioned in con- 
nection with the spread of the Church in Acts 8: 1 to 11: 18. 


o4 


THE SPREAD OF THE CHURCH 


2. Find in Acts 8: 1 to 11: 18 as many references as you can 
which show the careful supervision of the apostles over the 
churches. 

3. Trace the steps by which the Holy Spirit was leading the 
Church into a wider view of its ministry. 

4. What did the Samaritans and the Jews have in common? 
What were their differences? See a dictionary of the Bible under 
“Samaritans.” 

5. Why would it be a comparatively simple matter to receive 
a person like the Ethiopian eunuch into the Church? See a 
dictionary of the Bible under ‘‘Proselyte.”’ 

6. Why would the reception of Cornelius into the Church raise 
a problem concerning the relation of the Church to Judaism? 

7. Prepare to show how The Epistle of James fits into the 
conditions described in Acts 8:1 to 11:19. See the introduction 
to a good commentary on James or a dictionary of the Bible 
under ‘James, Epistle of.” 


8. Make an outline of The Epistle of James. 


TueE Books oF THE NEw TESTAMENT 


The Gospel :— Romans James 
According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
According to Mark IT Corinthians IT Peter 
According to Luke Galatians I John 
According to John Ephesians II John 

The Acts _ Philippians III John 

Colossians Jude 

I Thessalonians Revelation 
II Thessalonians 

I Timothy 

II Timothy 

Titus 

Philemon 

Hebrews 


CHAPTER VII 


PREPARATION FOR THE EXTENSION OF 
THE CHURCH TO THE GENTILES 


Scripture Material to Be Read: Acts 9: 1-30; 11: 
19-26; 22: 1-21; 26: 1-28:-Gal. Te 11-19 


The Problem of the Chapter. In Chapter VI 
we traced the spread of the Church through the 
disciples who were scattered from Jerusalem by 
persecution. Wherever in the providence of God 
they went they proclaimed the gospel, and converts 
were won and churches were established. These 
churches were under the supervision of the apostles. 
The disciples were Jews and preached to the Jews, 
so that when a letter was sent from Jerusalem by 
James, who was the head of the church there, he 
could naturally refer to the believers in Jesus as of 
the Twelve Tribes of Israel. 

At the same time we noted that the gospel was 
preached to the Samaritans who were at enmity with 
the Jews and yet who had much in common with 
them. Philip baptized the Ethiopian proselyte into 
the Church. The Apostle Peter also welcomed into 
the Church Cornelius, of Ceesarea, who was a Gentile. 

What preparation was made by the Spirit of God 
for the progress of the Church among the Gentiles, 
and how did the Church become primarily a Gentile 
institution? 


56 


PREPARATION FOR EXTENSION 


Antioch Becomes a Missionary Center. The 
conversions of the Ethiopian and of Cornelius were 
significant, but they were special cases. The practice 
of the disciples had been to speak “the word to none 
save only to the Jews.” Acts 11:19. But some of 
the disciples, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, came to 
the city of Antioch and there they “spake unto the 
Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus.”  V. 20. 
Many ancient manuscripts of The Acts read “Grecian 
Jews” instead of “Greeks.” The evidence of the 
manuscripts is pretty evenly divided, but com- 
mentators generally are convinced that the Greeks, 
or heathen people, are meant instead of Greek- 
speaking Jews, for before this time there were already 
many Greek-speaking Jews in the Church, Acts 6:1. 
If Greeks, or Gentiles, are meant here, then a new 
thing had happened in the history of the Church, for 
the gospel was being proclaimed to those who were 
in no sense adherents of the Jewish faith. | 

Antioch in Syria was the most important city of 
Roman Asia, and the third in rank among the cities 
of the Roman world. It was peculiarly cosmopolitan. 
The city was mostly Gentile, but a good many Jews 
lived there. Less distinguished for general culture 
than Alexandria, it was even more important than 
Alexandria in a military way and politically. It 
was situated where the Orontes passes between the 
ranges of Lebanon and Taurus. ‘Its harbor, Seleucia, 
brought Antioch in touch with the Mediterranean. 
The city was conveniently approached by caravans 
from Mesopotamia and Arabia. “It was almost an 
Oriental Rome.’ Antioch was famous for its beauty 


57 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


and its splendid buildings, and notorious for its 
profligacy, fraud, and sorcery, and for the effeminacy 
of its people. 

In Antioch “a great number that believed turned 
unto the Lord.” ‘The fidelity of the apostles in ex- 
ercising oversight of the Church is seen here again, 
for when word of the work in Antioch came _ to 
Jerusalem, they sent Barnabas to visit Antioch and 
to study the situation, lend what help he could, and 
report to the church in Jerusalem. 


The Apostle to the Gentiles. Barnabas found 
that the work was being well done in Antioch. The 
conversions gave every evidence of being genuine. 
After some experience in preaching and teaching in 
Antioch Barnabas saw the wonderful opportunity 
which the work there presented. He therefore went 
to Tarsus to find the one man in the Church who 
was fitted to make the most of this great oppor- 
tunity for which the Holy Spirit had been pre- 
paring the Church. The man whom the Holy Spirit 
had been preparing to be the great apostle to the 
Gentiles was Saul of Tarsus, whom we know better 
by his Greek name, Paul. 


Paul’s Early Training. Saul of Tarsus was a 
Jew who was proud of his Jewish lineage and of his 
Jewish training. He was of the sect of the Pharisees, 
and both at home and in the synagogue school he 
had been taught according to the best traditions of © 
the Jews. He was a student under the famous 
Gamaliel in Jerusalem. Acts 22: 3; 23: 6; II. Cor. 

58 


PREPARATION FOR EXTENSION 


11: 22; Phil. 3: 4-6. The most Jewish of the leaders 
of the Church could make no claims beyond those of 
Paul. He was prepared for leadership in the Church 
among the Gentiles by the fact that he was also a 
Roman. How his family had obtained its Roman 
citizenship we do not know. It may have been by 
some unusual service to the Roman state or by 
purchase, but, however this citizenship was obtained, 
Paul was a Roman citizen by birth. His citizenship 
was of great value as he carried on his work throughout 
the Roman world. In asense Paul was also a Greek, 
for he spoke the Greek language and was familiar 
with Greek learning. ‘Tarsus, where he was born, 
was one of the intellectual centers of the East. In 
that city was a famous school of learning in which 
Stoicism was taught. Probably as a boy Paul did 
not attend any of these schools, but he would not be 
unfamiliar with Greek culture. 

Paul, therefore, would be at home among the Jews, 
among the Romans, and among the Greeks. 


His Personal Equipment. In addition to his 
heritage and training, Paul was peculiarly fitted by 
his personal gifts for a place of leadership. He 
possessed a keen and balanced mind. Capable of 
abstract thinking, and able to organize a system of 
thought, he was also practical-minded, and knew how 
to adapt his teaching to people and to conditions 
and how to apply the truth to actual situations in the 
Church and in everyday life. In addition to his 
fine and versatile mind, he possessed great enthusiasm. 
His zeal for a cause which he espoused was never 

59 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


lacking. Whatever he did, he did with concentration 
and vigor. Paul’s experience also fitted him for his 
place of leadership. Brought up as a Jew, he knew 
the best that was in Judaism. As an enemy of 
Christianity he knew the worst that could be said 
of it even by its enemies. No argument could be 
brought against the gospel which he had not faced 
in his own experience, for he believed in Jesus in 
spite of every force which had drawn him the other 
way. His own experience provided him with un- 
answerable arguments and reasons for the Christian 
faith. 


His Conversion. From the ranks of his enemies, 
Jesus chose Paul to be his apostle to the Gentiles. 
This is perfectly clear in the New Testament record. 
Acts 9: $53):223 21s 26: 17),18;;Romi=13 5eniarein. 
11513;°15:.15) 16; Gal! 15, 16; 2; 7-9: Hpheaseees 
[E.. Tim... 2; 7; Il Tim. 4: 17; To aecomplishythis 
purpose, Paul’s point of view must be changed com- 
pletely. He shared all the antagonism of Judaism 
for the Church. His whole nature revolted against 
the attitude of the disciples of Jesus toward the law, 
toward the Temple, toward the way of salvation, 
and especially toward Jesus. 

Two influences stand out in the New Testament 
record of the conversion of Paul. The first of these 
is the influence of Stephen. His masterly address 
enraged Paul as it did the other members of the 
council, for he gave his consent to Stephen’s death 
and watched the garments of those who stoned him. 
The scene set Paul’s zeal on fire and he became a 

60 


- PREPARATION FOR EXTENSION 


violent persecutor of the Church. But evidently the 
death of Stephen made a deep impression upon Paul 
which took time to make its influence felt. Luke 
tells us that when Stephen was before the council 
‘all that sat in the council, fastening their eyes on 
him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.”’ 
Disciples of Jesus were not likely to be there. Through 
whom else would Luke learn of this, than through 
Paul who was there? And why did Paul remember 
Stephen’s face so long? Luke tells us the words of the 
dying Stephen. Who would hear those words save 
some one very near? No doubt Paul himself told 
Luke what Stephen had said. The words had burned 
themselves into his memory. Paul must have asked 
himself again and again, ‘Could that face of an angel, 
that heroic loyalty, that forgiveness in suffering, 
belong to an enemy of God?” 

Whatever Stephen had done by his reasoning and 
by his example to influence Paul, the one great event 
which made Paul a believer in Jesus was the appear- 
ance to him of Jesus himself. In The Acts we find 
three accounts of Saul’s conversion. The first is 
the account of Luke, based upon the facts he had 
gathered no doubt from Paul himself. Acts 9: 1-19. 
The second account is Paul’s own story of his con- 
version as he tells it to the mob which threatened 
his life in Jerusalem. Acts 22: 1-21. The third 
account is given in Paul’s defense before King 
Agrippa. Acts 26: 1-23. Paul refers to his con- 
version also in Gal. 1: 15, 16; I Cor. 9:1. The out- 
standing fact in each of these accounts and refer- 
ences is the appearance of Jesus to Paul. What 

61 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


Paul needed was to see Jesus. Immediately his 
views of the teaching of the Old Testament Scriptures 
began to adjust themselves to his new view of the 
Messiah. He saw his own religious experience in 
the light of the gospel. After his vision of Jesus, it 
no longer seemed to be blasphemy to call him Lord, 
for “in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead 
bodily,” Col. 2: 9. Jesus became the center of 
Paul’s faith and life. Around Jesus he organized all 
his thought about the Scriptures and religion and 
philosophy. 


His Early Ministry. After his vision of Jesus, 
Paul was led into Damascus where he was welcomed 
as a brother in Christ by Ananias and received the 
sacrament of baptism which marked his entrance into 
the Church. Immediately Paul began to preach 
and teach Christ in the Jewish synagogues. Paul 
had heard Stephen preach Christ, and he may have 
used the Scriptures in a similar way, but his teaching 
was based upon his vision of Jesus as the Son of God. 
We should notice that Paul “proclaimed Jesus, that 
he is the Son of God,” the very teaching which had 
formerly enraged him and stirred his persecuting zeal. 

The Jews of Damascus, prompted by the same 
motives and reasons which had formerly led Paul to 
persecute the disciples of Jesus, plotted to kill Paul, 
but he made his escape. Luke, guided by his purpose 
in writing The Acts, next tells of Paul in Jerusalem. 
He thus passes over a period to which Paul himself 
refers in Gal. 1: 17. The apostle spent some time 
in Arabia, probably thinking through the problems 

62 


PREPARATION FOR EXTENSION 


of his Christian faith. Then he returned to Damas- 
cus. Three years had now elapsed since his con- 
version. In Jerusalem he was looked upon with 
suspicion until Barnabas assured the apostles of his 
conversion and loyalty to Christ. 

The persecutor was now persecuted, so Paul left 
Jerusalem and went to his boyhood home, Tarsus. 
Of his ministry there we know nothing, but no doubt 
he was engaged in Christian work, which would be 
a preparation for his ministry as the apostle to the 
Gentiles to which he had been appointed by Christ, 
and into which he was now about to be providentially 
led by Barnabas. In Tarsus he would now come in 
contact with Greek learning, even if he had not done 
so earlier in his career. 

7 

The Work in Antioch. For a year Paul and 
Barnabas were associated in the leadership of the 
church in Antioch. Their chief task was teaching 
and preaching, but, following the practice of the 
Church, they would see to the organization of the 
church for its work in the city. One of the out- 
standing evidences of the success of the work of Paul 
and Barnabas in Antioch is the impression which 
was made by the Church upon the city. In the 
thought of the people, the disciples of Jesus were no 
longer simply Jews, or a sect of the Jews. The 
message of the Church was so definite, and the con- 
duct of the members of the Church was so distinctive, 
that the disciples became known as believers in 
Jesus. They were distinctively ‘‘followers of Christ,”’ 
and so the people of Antioch began to call them 

63 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


Christians, the name by which believers in Jesus 
have become known the world over. 

Summary. The Church was prepared for its 
spread among the Gentiles by the welcome into the 
Church of Samaritans, the Ethiopian proselyte, and 
especially the Gentile Cornelius. Antioch, ‘the 
strategic base for the campaign in Asia and Europe, 
became a center for the spread of the gospel, by the 
preaching of the gospel to the Greeks, or Gentiles, 
and the organization of a strong church there. Into 
leadership in the church in Antioch Paul, who had 
been especially chosen, equipped, and trained to 
be the apostle to the Gentiles, was called. The 
church in Antioch was now ready to launch upon 
its Missionary campaign among the Gentiles. 


QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 


1. What is the difference between Grecian Jews and Greeks? 
Why are there two possible readings of Acts 11: 20? Which is 
the more widely accepted and why? The article on “Antioch” 
in Davis’ “Dictionary of the Bible” is based on the reading 
“Grecians.’”’? See any good commentary on Acts 1: 19, 20. 


2. Why would Antioch make a good base for a mission to the 
Gentiles? See article in Davis’ ‘‘Dictionary of the Bible” on 
“Antioch.” Also consult a good commentary on The Acts in 
connection with ch. 11. 


3. What kind of man would be needed to lead the Church in 
its missionary work among the Gentiles? 


4. How was Paul fitted by his early training to be the apostle 
to the Gentiles? See article on ‘‘Paul” in a good Bible dictionary; 
David Smith, ‘‘The Life and Letters of St. Paul,’ chapter on 
“His Early Years’’; Machen’s ‘The Origin of Paul’s Religion,” 
Chapter II; Conybeare and Howson’s “The Life and Epistles of 
the Apostle Paul,’”’ Chapter IT. 


5. What personal characteristics of Paul fitted him for his 
place of leadership in the Church? 

6. How was Paul fitted by his personal experience for his 
work of leadership in the Church? See article on “Paul” in a 
Bible dictionary. 

64 


PREPARATION FOR EXTENSION 


7. How would you explain the conversion of Paul? In 
addition to the material under ‘‘His Conversion’ above, see 
“Paul” in Davis’ “Dictionary of the Bible’; Farrar’s “the Life 
and Work of St. Paul,’’ Book III, Ch. X; David Smith’s ‘The 
Life and Letters of St. Paul,” chapter on ‘“The Conversion of 
Saul”; Machen’s ‘‘The Origin of Paul’s Religion,” pages 58-68; 
Conybeare and Howson’s “The Life and Epistles of the apostle 

Paul,’”’ Chapter ITI. 


THE Booxs oF THE NEw TESTAMENT 


The Gospel :— Romans James 
According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
According to Mark II Corinthians II Peter 
According to Luke Galatians I John 
According to John Ephesians II John 

The Acts Philippians IIT John 

Colossians Jude 

I Thessalonians Revelation 
II Thessalonians 

I Timothy 

II Timothy 

Titus 

Philemon 

Hebrews 


65 


CHAPTER VIII 


THE EARLY PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH 
AMONG THE GENTILES 


Scripture Material to Be Read: Acts 13: 1 to 14: 28 


The Problem of the Chapter. What were the 
results of the first missionary efforts of the church in 
Antioch? 


Antioch Becomes a Missionary Base. The 
preparation for the Church’s mission among the 
Gentiles had been completed. Cornelius the Gentile 
had been received into the Church by Peter, and the 
apostle had successfully defended his course before 
the authorities of the Church in Jerusalem. Men 
of Cyprus and Cyrene had preached the Lord Jesus 
to the Greeks. A church had been organized in 
Antioch, and for a whole year Paul and Barnabas 
had been engaged in establishing and extending the 
church. Here was a strong church composed of 
both Jews and Gentiles, in a strategic city which was 
in touch with the East and the West. 

The Holy Spirit had been preparing for the preach- 
ing of the gospel among the Gentiles; now Luke tells 
us that the Holy Spirit called Paul and Barnabas to 
carry on the work for which he had been preparing 
and which he had planned, Acts 18: 2. The mis- 
sionary party consisted of Barnabas and Paul, with 
John Mark as their attendant. This is the first 

66 


EARLY PROGRESS AMONG THE GENTILES 


instance recorded in the New Testament of a church 
sending out a mission. The disciples had previously 
been scattered by persecution, and the apostles had 
sent out commissions to visit places where churches 
were being organized; but this is a mission sent out 
into new territory on a real foreign missionary enter- 
prise. The date and duration of the mission is not 
indicated, but it is generally put some time “‘beéween 
A.D. 45-50, perhaps 46-48.” 


The Missionaries on Familiar Ground. The 
missionaries embarked at Seleucia, the port of 
Antioch, and sailed to the island of Cyprus, forty- 
eight miles away. Two facts would tend to make 
their first missionary endeavors comparatively easy: 
Barnabas was a native of Cyprus, and so would be 
on familiar ground and would probably have many 
friends and acquaintances in the island. Also Jews 
constituted half of the population of Cyprus, so that 
the missionaries could preach in the synagogues, 
following the usual practice of the disciples. In a 
systematic way the missionaries went from city to 
city throughout the island, which was one hundred 
and fifty miles long and in one part ey, miles wide. 
Acts 13: 5, 6. 

As they drew near to the end of their mission in 
Cyprus, an event took place which would give them 
courage, for in Paphos, the capital and the residence 
of the proconsul, the missionaries after a conflict 
with a Jewish sorcerer won the proconsul, Sergius 
Paulus, to faith in the gospel, Acts 13: 6-12. 

From this time on, the name Saul is dropped and 

67 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


the Roman name Paul is used in The Acts. Acts 13: 
9, 13. This is probably because at this point he 
began his work among the Gentiles, and so his Roman 
or Gentile name is used. 


The Missionaries Turn to the Gentiles. From 
Paphos the missionaries sailed to Pamphylia and 
cameto Perga. Evidently they planned to press on 
into the interior, a journey which would present 
difficulties and dangers. Perhaps this is the reason 
why John Mark, their attendant, turned back; but 
Barnabas and Paul, undaunted by danger or hard- 
ship, pressed on, Acts 13: 13, 14. Pisidian Antioch 
was their first objective. There were many Jews 
here and also proselytes. The missionaries were 
welcomed into the synagogue and invited to preach. 
From the brief account of the sermon we can learn 
something of Paul’s method as he dealt with those 
who had been taught the Old Testament Scriptures. 
Read Acts 13: 16-41. Like Stephen, Paul gave a 
brief summary of Old Testament history with the 
purpose of showing the plan of God to provide salva- 
tion for his people. Then he announced that Jesus 
was the promised Saviour, who by his life and death 
and resurrection had fulfilled the Scriptures. Then 
he taught the great doctrine of salvatian from sin 
through faith in Christ, and urged the people not to 
reject the grace of God through unbelief. 

The preaching of the missionaries created a great 
stir in Antioch. Not only the Jews and the Gentile 
proselytes who worshiped in the Jewish synagogue, 
but also the Gentiles of the city, were eager to listen 

68 


EARLY PROGRESS AMONG THE GENTILES 


to the message of Paul and Barnabas. They crowded 
the synagogue the next Sabbath. At this point 
Paul encountered an obstacle which was to hamper 
him in all his ministry. The Jews were not willing 
to think of the Gentiles as recipients of the blessings 
of the gospel without their first conforming to Jewish 
requirements. The interest of the Gentile populace 
roused their jealousy. When the Jews opposed Paul 
and attempted to deny his message, Paul and Bar- 
nabas took their stand on the great Christian principle 
that the gospel was to be preached to the Jews first, 
but that it was also to be proclaimed freely to the 
Gentiles. They made the announcement which 
marked a new step in the missionary enterprise of 
the church, ‘‘We turn to the Gentiles,’ and quoted 
from the Scriptures, Isa. 49: 6: 


“Tl have set thee for a light of the Gentiles, 
That thou shouldest be for salvation unto the 
uttermost part of the earth.” 


The Gentiles received the gospel with great rejoicing 
and many converts were won throughout all the 
region. But the Jews, with the help of influential 
women connected with the synagogue and of leading 
men of the city, succeeded in driving out the mis- 
slonaries. 

From Antioch Paul and Barnabas went to Iconium, 
sixty miles away, where they reached both Jews and 
Gentiles with the gospel, but here again the Jews 
finally succeeded in stirring up such violent opposition, 
in which the Gentiles and rulers joined, that the 
missionaries fled to two other cities of Lycaonia. 


Acts 14: 1-7. 
69 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


Preaching Christ in a Heathen Country. 
Lycaonia has been described as “a bare and dreary 
region, unwatered by streams, though in parts liable 
to occasional inundations.”’ Strabo mentions one 
place where water was even sold for money. 

A systematic preaching tour was conducted through 
this district. The cities of Lystra and Derbe are 
especially mentioned. At Lystra we find the mission- 
aries endeavoring to win to faith in Christ people 
who were heathen in the full sense of the word. 
Evidently no synagogue was to be found in Lystra, 


_ for The Acts makes no mention of the apostles’ 


following their custom of entering the synagogue. 
There was a temple of Jupiter before the gates of the 
city. In heathen Lystra, Paul and Barnabas had to 
win the attention of the people and try to make 
known to them the true God and Jesus Christ who 
is Saviour and Lord. No doubt they resorted to 
meetings in the streets and in the market place. 
The healing of a cripple by Paul won the admiration 
of the excitable people of Lystra. But the miracle 
also resulted in a serious misunderstanding, for these 
worshipers of the gods jumped to the conclusion that 
Paul and Barnabas were Jupiter and Mercury who 
had come down to earth. The missionaries who had 
come to lead the people to worship the one true God 
found themselves about to be made objects of wor- 
ship. Acts 14: 8-13. 

Here we have an illustration of the difference of 
the method of the apostle in dealing with the Jews 
who knew the one true God and with the heathen who 
worshiped many gods. First the missionaries rent 

70 


EARLY PROGRESS AMONG THE GENTILES 


their garments, which would be a sign of consterna- 
tion and disapproval of the conduct of the crowd 
which all could understand, even if they were not 
near enough to hear their words, or if they did not 
understand the Greek language which the missionaries 
spoke. Then Paul began his argument. Read 
Acts 14: 15-17, and follow the efforts of the mission- 
aries to enlighten these heathen worshipers. First 
they denied all claims to be anything but mere men, 
but declared that they were messengers of the one 
true God. This God they tried to make known to 
these Lystrians who thought of many gods who were 
magnified mortals. The true God is the Creator of 
all things. He is the God of all nations, but each 
nation had followed after its own deities. But it was 
‘the one true God who had sent the rains and the 
harvests and had made provision for all the joys 
of life. 

Evidently the missionaries remained in Lystra 
long enough to lead many into a knowledge of the 
true God and of the way of salvation through Christ. 
For when the Jews came from Antioch and Iconium 
and stirred up the people, especially against Paul, 
and he was stoned and dragged from the city, there 
remained about him a band of disciples, Acts 14: 20. 
Probably ‘Timothy was one of these believers. Acts 
162.1572. . 

Paul was not dead, but was able to return to the 
city for the night and the next day went with Bar- 
nabas to Derbe, a city only a few hours distant. 
Here they won many converts and ended for the time 
their advance into Gentile territory. 


71 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


The Results of the Mission Among the Gen- 
tiles. That this was a truly constructive mission 
with permanent results is indicated by the fact that 
Paul and Barnabas retraced their steps, visiting in 
Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch. In each place were 
churches. The missionaries strengthened the _ be- 
lievers in their Christian convictions, urged them to 
hold fast to their faith when the oversight of the 
missionaries was withdrawn, warned them of the 
temptations and trials which they must expect to 
encounter as Christians living in the midst of heathen- 
ism, and appointed elders for the churches. Thus 
they left behind them organized churches. 

On their way back they preached in Perga, then 
embarked at Attalia, and returned to Antioch in 
Syria, the home church which had sent them out on’ 
their mission, possibly some two years before. When 
they made their report to the church in Antioch, 
the one fact which stood out in the minds of their 
hearers was the fact that churches had been estab- 
lished among the Gentiles. The Christian religion 
was no longer the faith and practice of a sect of the 
Jews. No longer was it dependent upon the Jews. 
There were now churches among the Gentiles. 

The missionaries resumed their ministry in the 
church in Antioch and continued their labors there 
‘for some time. How long, we do not know, for 
Luke does not give any indications of time. 


Summary. When the Church had been prepared 
for its extension among the Gentiles, and a church 
with Gentile sympathies had been organized and 

72 


EARLY PROGRESS AMONG THE GENTILES 


thoroughly established in Antioch, and when Paul 
had been called and specially fitted to be the apostle 
to the Gentiles, under the direction of the Holy Spirit 
the church in Antioch sent Barnabas and Paul, with 
John Mark as their assistant, upon a mission. The 
mission through Cyprus prepared for the more 
difficult task on the mainland. In Paphos the 
Gentile governor of Cyprus was converted, and then 
in Antioch on the mainland the attitude of the Jews 
led to a distinct mission to the Gentiles. Their 
mission led the missionaries into distinctively Gentile 
and heathen territory where converts from among the 
worshipers of heathen gods were won to the one true 
God and to Jesus Christ as Saviour. Vigorous 
Gentile churches were established, instructed in 
Christian doctrine, and organized. The Gentiles 
now had their place in the Christian Church. 


QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 


1. Trace the preparation of the Church for its wider mission 
among the Gentiles. 


2. Why would the missionary work in Cyprus probably be 
done with comparatively little difficulty? 


3. What would be the effect upon the missionaries of the con- 
version of Sergius Paulus? 


4. Makean outline of the sermon of Paul in the synagogue in 
Pisidian Antioch and tell why it was adapted to an audience of 
Jews and proselytes. 


5. Explain the reason for the antipathy of the Jews in Antioch 
toward the missionaries. To what important result did their 
opposition lead? 

6. Describe the conditions which the missionaries would en- 
counter in a city like Lystra. See a Bible dictionary, articles on 
“Lystra” and on ‘‘Paul.’’ See also the appropriate sections of the 
books suggested in connection with the questions of Chapter VII, 


73 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


7. Compare the address of Paul in Lystra with his address in 
Antioch and show how his address at Lystra was especially 
adapted to a heathen audience. 

8. What was the most outstanding fact which the church of 
Antioch observed in regard to the mission of Paul and Barnabas? 

9. On a map locate the various places visited by Paul and 
Barnabas and indicate any distinctive step in the growth of the 
church connected with any city. 


THE Books OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 


The Gospel :— Romans James 
According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
According to Mark II Corinthians II Peter 
According to Luke Galatians I John 
According to John Ephesians If John 

The Acts Philippians III John 

Colossians Jude 

I Thessalonians Revelation 
II Thessalonians 

I Timothy 

II Timothy 

Titus 

Philemon 

Hebrews 


74 


CHAPTER IX ~ 
THE CONFLICT WITH THE JUDAIZERS 


Scripture Material to Be Read: Acts 19: 1-35; 
Galatians 


The Problem of the Chapter. The gospel had 
been successfully preached to the Gentiles. This 
was the outstanding feature of the mission of Bar- 
nabas and Paul in the mind of the church in Antioch. 
Worshipers of heathen gods had turned to the one 
true God and had accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour 
and Lord and had been baptized into the Christian 
Church. But the same traditions which had led 
Judaism to persecute the Church now led the Jews 
within the Church to raise objections to this re- 
ception of the Gentiles. Because the Jews had 
thought of themselves as the covenant people of 
God,: whose religion was the one true religion, and 
because the Church had begun as a sect of Judaism, 
the Jews felt that all the members of the Church 
should enter the Church as they had entered it, 
through the gate of Judaism. They had conformed to 
the requirements of the Mosaic law before they be- 
came Christians; why should not the Gentiles conform 
to the same requirements? We are now to consider 
this question. 


The Issue. There were two views in the Church 
about this problem. There was the view of those 


75 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


‘who thought that Gentiles should virtually become 
Jews in order to become Christians, and there was 
the view of those who believed that the Gentiles 
should be received into the Church merely on the 
basis of their profession of faith in Christ and should 
not be required to conform to the practices of the 
Jewish religion. The future of the Church depended 
largely upon how this difference of opinion should be 
settled. 


How the Issue Was Raised. While Barnabas 
and Paul were engaged in the work of the church in 
Antioch, there came down from Jerusalem certain 
men who insisted that the Gentiles of the church in 
Antioch must conform to the requirements of the 
law of Moses. These men were what are called 
Judaizers; that is, they insisted that Gentiles should 
virtually become Jews. We can readily under- 
stand how they felt in view of their training. Blinded 
by their devotion to the traditions of Judaism, they 
had failed to see what the Church had been taught so 
clearly. They had not caught the idea of universality 
which was in the teaching of Jesus. See, for example, 
Matt. 8: 5-18; 12: 15-21; 28: 19. They had missed 
the significance of the baptism of Cornelius, which 
had been fully discussed in the Church, Acts 10: 1 
to 11: 18. They had not themselves learned the 
lesson the Holy Spirit had taught those who worked 
among the Gentiles as had Paul and Barnabas. 
They therefore insisted that the practice of the church 
of Antioch in welcoming Gentiles into membership 
without requiring them to obey the Mosaic law was 

76 


THE CONFLICT WITH THE JUDAIZERS 


wrong, and they began to disturb the faith of the ~ 
Gentile members of the Church by declaring that 
they were not Christians at all and that they could 
not be saved. 

This position would undermine the work of Paul 
and Barnabas. It denied the soundness of their 
gospel message. If these Judaizers were right, then 
the missionaries to the Gentiles were all wrong and 
their gospel of salvation by faith was-untrue. The 
issue could not be evaded. The future of the Church 
depended upon this question’s being settled and 
settled right. Paul and Barnabas were therefore 
unyielding. They openly defended their course 
against these Judaizing critics. 


How the Issue Was Settled. To settle this 
dispute a delegation was sent up to Jerusalem. Paul 
and Barnabas were members of this commission. 
When Paul and Barnabas told of their missionary 
labors and success, certain of the Pharisees who had 
joined the Church took the same position as the 
Judaizers who had been in Antioch. A council of 
the Church, consisting of apostles and elders, was 
called together to consider the matter. Acts, ch. 15. 
This council as a form of church organization will be 
considered in Chapter XIII. For a time there was 
heated debate, but the discussion began to take on a 
more constructive character. Peter told how the 
Holy Spirit had clearly guided him in opening the 
doors of the Church to the Gentiles. God had made 
perfectly plain that there should be no distinction 
between Jews and Gentiles; there was one gospel of 

“ye 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


salvation by faith for both alike. Then Paul and 
Barnabas told of their experience in missionary work 
among the Gentiles, and of how God had clearly 
given his seal of approval to the welcoming of the 
Gentiles into the Church without their conforming to 
the requirements of the Mosaic law. 

The discussion had now become so convincing that 
the Judaizers were silenced, and James, who presided 
at the council, reviewed the discussion and announced 
the conclusion that the Gentiles should not be re- 
quired to keep the Mosaic law. Four requirements, 
however, were laid down. Acts 15:20. The Gentile 
converts were to keep from those practices which 
might indicate that they had not broken away com- 
pletely from heathenism and its idolatry and im- 
morality, and were to avoid those practices which, 
while not wrong in themselves, would be especially 
repulsive to the Jewish Christians with whom they 
would be associated in the Christian Church. 

The decision of the council was put in writing and 
addressed to the Gentile churches of Antioch and 
Syria and Cilicia. To make the understanding of 
the decision more certain, a commission was ap- 
pointed personally to deliver the message to the 
churches. 

The great question was now settled by the authority 
of the apostles and elders, in harmony with the clear 
leading and teaching of the Holy Spirit. The 
Christian Church was not to be in any sense a part 
of Judaism. It was to be free from the bondage of 
the Mosaic law. Its requirements for membership 
were to be repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as 

78 


THE CONFLICT WITH THE JUDAIZERS 


Saviour, baptism, and a life in harmony with this 
profession. 


The Epistle to the Galatians. Paul’s Epistle to 
the Galatians deals with this question of the Judaizers 
which was answered by the council at Jerusalem, and 
the epistle will be appreciated if it is read with the 
background of this discussion. 

Two questions present themselves concerning this 
epistle: What was the geographical location of the 
churches to which it was written? What was the 
date of its composition? The answer to the second 
question depends upon the answer to the first. 

_Ramsay has taken the position that the “Galatia” 
in The Acts and in the Epistle to the Galatians, 
Gal. 1: 2; 3: 1, refers to the same region and that it 
is used of the Roman province of Galatia. This is 
known as the South Galatian theory, and if this 
conclusion is correct, then the Galatian churches 
were the churches of Lystra, Iconium, and Derbe, and 
possibly even Pisidian Antioch, and they were founded 
by Paul on his First Missionary Journey, considered 
in Chapter VIII. The epistle, then, was probably 
written toward the latter part or at the close of his 
Second Missionary Journey, about A.D..52 or 53: 
But if by Galatia is meant the narrower region popu- 
larly referred to by that name, the churches of 
Galatia would be in such places as Pessinus and 
Ancyra (Conybeare and Howson) and Tavium, and 
perhaps Juliopolis (Lightfoot), and the epistle was 
probably written a.p. 55 or 56, while Paul was on 
his Third Missionary Journey. Whatever the geo- 

79 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


graphical location of the churches to which the 
epistle is addressed or the time of its writing, however, 
it deals with the activity of Judaizers similar to that 
which we have considered in this chapter. 


References to His Readers. That those to 
whom this epistle was written were former heathen 
is evident from ch. 4: 8,9. They had been worshipers 
of many gods and had not known the one true God. 
The situation which is described in connection with 
the visit of Paul and Barnabas to Lystra fairly repre- 
sents the former condition of the Galatians to whom 
Paul was writing. Paul had visited the ‘“Galatians’”’ 
twice and on his first visit they had shown peculiar 
love and devotion to him in his physical weakness. 
Ch. 4: 12-16. 


The Gospel at Issue. The question which Paul 
faced in this letter is the very same issue which he 
faced in Antioch and at the council in Jerusalem. It 
was the question of the true message of the gospel. 
Judaizers had come into the Galatian churches and 
had taught, as they had taught in Antioch, Acts 15: 1, 
that the members of the Galatian churches should 
conform to the customs of Moses. Paul declared to 
the Galatians that the teaching of the Judaizers was 
not another interpretation of the same gospel which 
he had preached to them, but was a different gospel 
altogether. Gal. 1: 6-10. He insisted that they 
had come under a perverting influence, Gal. 3: 1, 
and were being led away from the true Christian 
faith. If the Judaizers were right, Paul’s gospel was 

80 


THE CONFLICT WITH THE JUDAIZERS 


wrong. But if Paul’s gospel was right, then the 
Judaizers were really enemies of Christ within the 
fold of the Church. 


Paul’s Apostleship and Authority. The Ju- 
daizers had denied the apostolic authority of Paul. 
He was not one of the original Twelve and had re- 
ceived his gospel secondhand, and they tried to 
persuade the Galatian Christians that they should 
not listen to him. In his letter, therefore, Paul 
declared that he was an apostle by God’s own appoint- 
ment, ch. 1: 1, and that he received his gospel through 
Jesus Christ. He went into detail concerning his 
relationship to the apostles. Ch. 1:11 to 2:12. He 
had not received his gospel from men. He had been 
an out-and-out enemy of the Church until his con- 
version. When he was converted by the personal 
appearance of Jesus to him, he immediately began 
to preach the gospel. For some time he was off in 
Arabia. It was three years after his converston that 
he met Peter (Cephas). After that he had gone into 
Syria and Cilicia and the churches of Judea outside 
of Jerusalem did not know him personally. Fourteen 
years after his conversion he had gone again to 
Jerusalem to attend the council. There he had first 
talked with the ‘authorities’ and after that was 
heard by the council. His gospel had been con- 
firmed by the “authorities” and by the council of the 
Church, and his practice of not requiring the Gentiles 
to conform to Jewish customs was Officially approved. 

No one could appeal to the authority of Peter 
against him, for the fact was that on one occasion 

$1 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


Paul had openly convicted Peter of taking a course 
contrary to the gospel. In authority Paul had no 
superior in the Christian Church. 


An Old Issue. In connection with his argument 
for his apostolic authority and for his gospel to the 
Gentiles, Paul showed that the Judaizers were raising 
a question which the Church had already settled by 
the council in Jerusalem. The Judaizers had shown 
themselves to be ‘“‘false brethren,’’ who were really 
enemies of gospel liberty. Titus, the well-known 
Christian worker, was a proof of the falseness of the 
claims of the Judaizers, for Titus was a Gentile who 
had not conformed to the Jewish customs, and this 
course was approved by the apostles. Ch. 2: 3-5. 

The same argument which Paul made against 
Peter in Antioch, ch. 2: 11-21, still held good. If 
the Jews turned to Christ for salvation because they 
could not be saved by conforming to Jewish laws and 
customs, why did they ask the Gentiles to conform 
to these laws and customs in order to be saved? If 
salvation is through faith in Christ, then it is not to 
be found through “‘works of the law.’” 


Salvation by Faith. Paul therefore emphasized 
again the great Christian doctrine of salvation by 
faith. Ch. 3: 1-14. He appealed to the Galatians’ 
own experience. The message which they had heard 
was the message of Christ who died to save them. 
They had received the Spirit of God in connection 
with their acceptance of the message of salvation by 
faith in Christ. This was before the Judaizers had 

82 


THE CONFLICT WITH THE JUDAIZERS 


come with their insistence upon conforming to the 
Jewish law. The Spirit was therefore received by 
faith in Christ, not by the works of the law. And if 
they would be the true heirs of Abraham, they must 
become his heirs by showing the same faith which 
Abraham showed, and not by conforming to the laws 
of Moses. Christians are Abraham’s heirs, rather 
than Moses’ disciples. The law brings a curse 
because of man’s disobedience; the gospel offers 
salvation through faith in Christ, who by his death 
on the cross redeemed us from the curse of the law. 


The Covenant. The Judaizers would make much 
of the Jew’s covenant relation to God. But Paul 
pointed out that the covenant between Abraham and 
God’ was made before there was any Mosaic law. 
Therefore Gentiles could not be required to conform to 
the laws of Moses in order to share in the covenant 
between God and Abraham. Gal. 3: 15-29. Further- 
more the law is not the way of salvation, for if it 
were, there would have been no need of a Saviour. 
In Christ there is no distinction between Jew and 
Gentile. 


Christian Liberty. To lead the Galatians to see 
what it would mean for them to turn back to the law 
after knowing the liberty of the gospel, Paul com- 
pared those who sought salvation through the 
Jewish laws to wards who are under a guardian, but 
those who are redeemed by Christ are sons and heirs 
of God who have entered into their inheritance. 
Would the Galatians go back to the bondage of their 

83 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


heatnen religion again? Of course they would not. 
Then why should they go back to the bondage of 
Judaism? Was Paul’s labor of love among them in 
vain? Ch. 4: 8-31. 

Paul therefore urged the Galatian Christians to 
hold fast to their liberty in Christ. Ch. 5:1-12. 
But the liberty of the gospel does not mean license. 
In setting aside the ceremonial law of Moses, Chris- 
tians are not to set aside the moral law of God. 
Christian faith is to lead to Christian conduct. Ch. 
5: 13-24. The spirit of Christ is to prompt and 
contro! every relationship of the Christian’s life. 
Chyte25-00.6.210. 

Paul closed his letter with a last appeal to the 
Gajatians to stand for the Christian liberty which 
should be so precious to them. 


Summary. The Jewish Christians’ loyalty to 
their traditions led many of them to feel that Gentiles 
ought virtually to become Jews in order to become 
Christians. The question whether Christians were 
to be a sect of the Jews or independent of Judaism 
and its practices had to be settled. The liberty of 
the Gentiles was confirmed by the council at Jerusa- 
lem. Even then, however, zealous Jewish Christians 
insisted upon the observance of the Mosaic law by 
Christians and spread their propaganda through the 
churches. The issue became acute, particularly in 
the churches of Galatia, and so to the Galatians Paul 
wrote an epistle denouncing the Judaizers as enemies 
of the true gospel of Christ and teaching the doctrine 
of salvation by faith, and Christian liberty. 


84 


THE CONFLICT WITH THE JUDAIZERS 


QUESTIONS FOR StuDY AND ASSIGNMENT 


1.. What issue was raised within the Church by the successful 
mission of Paul and Barnabas? Explain the reason for this issue. 


2. What is meant by Judaizers? 
3. Why was it important for the Church to settle this issue? 


4. By what process was the issue settled and what was the 
solution? ° 


5. To what churches was the Epistle to the Galatians written, 
and when? What are the two theories? See articles on “Galatia”’ 
and “Epistle to the Galatians’ in Davis’ “Dictionary of the 
Bible,” or some other good Bible dictionary; Ramsay’s “St. Paul 
the Traveller”; Lightfoot on Galatians, Introduction; Conybeare 
and Howson, “The Life and Epistles of the Apostle Paul,” pp. 
212-215, 2383-235, 473-475. 

6. With what problem does the Epistle to the Galatians deal 
irrespective of geography or date? See references under Ques- 
tion 5. 


7. Show how the Epistle to the Galatians meets the main 
issues raised by the Judaizers. First read the epistle through for 
yourself for the answer to the question. Consult any good com- 
mentary on Galatians and article on the “Epistle to the Gala- 
tians” in Davis’ or some other good Bible dictionary. 


Tue Books or tHE New TESTAMENT 


The Gospel :— Romans James 
According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
According to Mark IT Corinthians II Peter 
According to Luke Galatians I John 
According to John Ephesians II John 

The Acts Philippians III John 

Colossians Jude 

I Thessalonians Revelation 
II Thessalonians 

I Timothy 

II Timothy 

Titus 

Philemon 

Hebrews 


85 


—_— 


CHAPTER X 
PROBLEMS OF THE GENTILE CHURCH 


Scripture Material to Be Read: Acts 15: 30 to 18: 5; 
I and IT Thessalonians 


The Problems of the Chapter. To discover the 
difficulties which the Christian missionaries en- 
countered in their mission in Europe and how they 
dealt with these difficulties, and to discover how the 
Epistles of Paul to the Thessalonians fit into the. 
situation described in The Acts. 


Paul and Barnabas Separate. Paul and Barna- 
bas returned to Antioch from Jerusalem with the 
letter from the church there announcing the decisions 
which guarded the liberty of Gentile Christians. 
This letter and the message of Judas and Silas, the 
commissioners who accompanied Paul and Barnabas, 
brought comfort and encouragement to the Christians 
of Antioch. 

The church in Antioch seems to have been well 
supplied with ministers, for besides Paul and Barnabas 
there were ‘‘many others also” who preached the 
word. The missionary spirit prompted Paul and 
Barnabas to go where their ministry was more needed. 
Their first plan was to visit and strengthen the 
churches which they had established on their First 
Missionary Journey. Just here we discover in the 
story of the New Testament Church a situation 


86 


PROBLEMS OF THE GENTILE CHURCH 


which has occurred often in the Church’s later 
history: good men differed. Barnabas wished to 
take John Mark along; Paul would not have as a 
companion one who had shown lack of steadfastness, 
Acts 13: 18. Barnabas was sure that Mark would 
now prove his loyalty. The argument waxed hot 
between these two great Christians and, because 
neither felt justified in yielding what he thought was 
the right course to take, they agreed to separate. 
Barnabas set out with John Mark for Cyprus to visit 
the churches there, and Paul, taking Silas as his 
companion, went through Syria and Cilicia ‘“‘con- 
firming the churches.” 


The Growing Church. The secret of Christi- 
anity’s progress lies in its ability to establish germinat- 
ing centers. Each church became self-sustaining 
and self-propagating. When Paul and Silas were 
visiting Derbe, Lystra, and Iconium, they found a 
young man who had developed so rapidly in his 
Christian faith and life that he was fitted to become 
a minister of Christ. This was Timothy, who 
probably had been won to Christ when Paul and 
Barnabas were in Lystra on the First Missionary 
Journey. Timothy was known to the churches of 
the whole region as a promising young man. 


Paul’s Attitude Toward Gentile Liberty. Paul 
and Silas were delivering to the Gentile churches the 
decision of the council at Jerusalem that the Gentiles 
should not be required to conform to the Mosaic law. 
In Paul’s letter to the Galatians he insisted that to go 

87 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


back to the law was virtually to give up the gospel. 
And yet Paul circumcised Timothy. How is the 
circumcision of Timothy to be explained in view of 
Paul’s teaching? Observe that Paul refused to 
circumcise Titus, who was a Gentile, Gal. 2: 3, but 
he was willing to circumcise Timothy, whose mother 
was a Jewess. Paul would not yield an inch to those 
who insisted that the circumcision of Gentiles was 
necessary, but, lest he should put a stumblingblock 
in the way of the Jews or make the ministry of 
Timothy, a half Jew, difficult, he circumcised Tim- 
othy. Paul was willing to be “all things to all 
men,” until principle was involved; then he was 
unyielding. 

The missionaries found the churches everywhere 
increasing in numbers daily. Acts 16: 5. 


The Church Enters Europe. The statesman- 
ship of the Church was the statesmanship of the 
Holy Spirit. Evidently Paul and Silas, left to their 
own judgment or wishes, would have crossed over 
into the province called Asia, of which Ephesus was 
the capital. But the Holy Spirit had other plans, 
so the missionaries went through the region of 
Phrygia and Galatia. There is not space here to go 
into any discussion of the exact geography of Galatia. 
The student is referred to a Bible dictionary or a 
commentary on The Acts, or to Ramsay’s ‘The 
Church in the Roman Empire,” or Lightfoot on 
Galatians. Reference was made to this problem 
in Chapter IX. 

Now the missionaries would have ventured into 

88 


7 } € 
aid 
PROBLEMS OF THE GENTILE CHURCH 


_ Bithynia, the region which lay to the north along the 
Black Sea, but again the Holy Spirit. directed the 
statesmanship of the Church, and the missionaries 
were led to Troas, where Paul, in a vision in the 
night, heard the call of Macedonia, ‘Come over... 
and help us.”’ Acts 16: 6-10. 

Note carefully the pronouns ‘‘we” and ‘‘ in 
v. 10. Note also the “we” in v. 11. Here we have 
the beginning of the first of the ‘“‘we’’ sections of 
The Acts, indicating that the writer of the book was 
an eyewitness of what he narrates. Compare Chapter 
I. Evidently, then, Luke joined the missionary 
party at Troas. This Christian physician was the 
faithful attendant of Paul. 

Landing at Neapolis, the missionaries made their 
way to Phili pi, the “first city’? of Macedonia, 
meaning either the first city of importance to be 
reached by the traveler or the most important city. 
Philippi was a Roman colony, virtually a Roman 
city on foreign soil. 

Here the missionaries conducted their first. work 

in Europe. There was no Jewish synagogue to 
provide a preaching place and a congregation, but 
down by the river Paul and his companions found a 
place of prayer such as the Jews were accustomed to 
establish where there were not sufficient. worshipers 
to build a synagogue. The only worshipers of the one 
true God whom they found were women, one of them a 
dye merchant from Thyatira named Lydia. Lydia 
became a convert to the Christian faith and the first 
Christian church of Philippi met in her house where 
the missionaries became guests. 

89 


ra 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


The missionaries had become accustomed to 
opposition stirred up by the Jews, but now they were 
to encounter opposition from purely Gentile sources. 
Some men in Philippi owned a slave girl who was a 
demoniac, and they made great gain by using her as 
a fortune teller. When on a number of days the 
demoniac girl had cried out after the company of 
Christians on their way to their place of worship, 
Paul commanded the demon to come out of her. 
When the girl was restored to her right mind, her 
masters saw that their business was ruined, and 
they sought revenge upon the men who had dared to 
meddle with their affairs. Because Rome _ had 
recently issued an edict against the Jews, it was an 
easy matter to raise a riot in this Roman colony 
against Paul and Silas on the ground that they were 
Jews. With little ceremony the two missionaries 
were beaten and cast into prison and placed in the 
stocks. But providential events led to the con- 
version of the jailer and he and his family were 
baptized into the Church. The Roman officials 
were greatly concerned when they discovered that 
they had beaten Roman citizens, and became quite 
apologetic, but they asked the missionaries to leave 
the city to prevent further trouble. When Paul and 
Silas were set at liberty, they returned to the home 
of Lydia and then departed from the city. They left 
behind them, however, under the temporary care of 
Luke and Timothy, a Christian church which became 
known for its thoughtful affection for the apostle 
who had brought to its members the gospel of Jesus 
Christ. | 


90 


PROBLEMS OF THE GENTILE CHURCH 


Thessalonica. Traveling thirty-three miles along 
the Egnatian Way, the missionaries passed through 
Amphipolis, an important military station, and thirty 
miles farther along they passed Apollonia, a town of 
little importance. Then they came to Thessalonica, 
about a hundred miles southwest of Philippi. This 
city was an important commercial center, and there 
the missionaries found a synagogue. For three 
Sabbaths they taught there. They argued from the 
Scriptures that the Messiah was to suffer and die 
and to rise again from the dead, and that Jesus ful- 
filled these Scriptural requirements and so was the 
Christ. There was a marked division in the attitude 
of the congregation. A few of the Jews were per- 
suaded and became disciples. A great number of 
Gentiles who had been won to faith in the true God, 
some of them women of influence, believed the 
gospel. When the Gentiles in such large numbers 
accepted the teaching of the missionaries, the Jewish 
doubters became furious and gathered a riotous mob 
and attacked the house in which the missionaries 
were sheltered. Not finding Paul and Silas, they 
dragged their host and other of the Christians before 
the authorities of the city and brought charges against 
them. 

The charges against the missionaries in Thessa- 
lonica should be noted with special care. Acts 17: 7. 
Evidently one of the outstanding points in Paul’s 
teaching had been the Kingdom of God. The 
promised reign of Christ must have received special 
emphasis. 

Without delay Paul and Silas left Thessalonica 

91 


THE. NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


under cover of darkness.. There must have been 
some time, however, between the first interest of the 
Gentiles in the gospel and the riot stirred up by the 
Jews which led to the departure of the missionaries, 
for when Paul and Silas departed from the city they 
left behind them a strong Gentile church. 


Berea, Athens, and Corinth. Paul and Silas 
went to Berea. Acts 17: 10. Here the missionaries 
found an attentive and open-minded audience in the 
synagogue. Many Jews were won to the faith, and 
not a few Gentiles, both men and women. The 
favorable work, however, was soon interrupted by 
Jews who followed the missionaries from Thessa- 
lonica. Paul seems to have been the chief occasion 
for Jewish opposition, so the Christians of Berea sent 
him on to Athens, while Timothy, who had probably 
joined Paul at Thessalonica, and Silas remained 
behind to continue the work. 

While Paul waited alone in Athens, his zeal would 
not let him rest, but in this famous city of learning 
he taught in the synagogue and even addressed the 
Athenians in the market place. There he encountered 
the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers and was taken 
to the Areopagus, or Mars’ Hill, where he endeavored 
to make known to the Athenians the gospel which he 
preached, Acts 17: 22-31. The Athenians made. 
light of Paul’s teaching of the resurrection, but there 
were a few converts. 

From Athens Paul went to Corinth. The char- 
acter of this city and the difficulties which the gospel 
would encounter there will be considered in a later 


92 


PROBLEMS OF THE GENTILE CHURCH 


chapter. It is sufficient for us to notice here that 
Paul lodged with Aquila and Priscilla, Jewish tent- 
makers who had fled from Rome on account of 
persecution, and that Paul supported himself by 
working at his trade and preaching in the synagogue 
to both Jews and Gentiles. 


Paul Writes to the Church in Thessalonica. 
Paul had left Timothy and Silas (or Silvanus) in 
Berea, with directions that they should join him in 
Athens. For some reason they did not meet him 
there, but came to him in Corinth. At one time 
Timothy had been sent back to Thessalonica to visit 
the church there, because Paul could not do so him- 
self. I Thess. 3: 1, 2, 6. Now Timothy and Silas 
had reached Corinth, I Thess. 1: 1; II Thess. 1: 1, 
and Timothy told the apostle about the situation in 
the Thessalonian church. On the background of 
the story which has been so briefly sketched in this 
chapter, read I and II Thessalonians, the earliest of 
Paul’s epistles. With what problems did he have 
to deal? On what particular points did the Christians 
of Thessalonica need instruction? 


A Gentile Church. The Thessalonian church 
had been founded by Paul after his persecution in 
Philippi, I Thess. 2: 1, 2, and this church was es- 
pecially dear to him, ch. 2: 7-12, 17-20. There are 
two reasons for believing that the Thessalonian 
church was a Gentile church. Paul referred to the 
Thessalonians as converts from heathenism with its 
many gods and its idol worship, I Thess. 1: 9, and 
attention has been called to the fact that there is 

93 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


nowhere in these two epistles to the Thessalonians 
a formal quotation from the Old Testament Scriptures, 
an omission which would scarcely have occurred if 
Paul had been writing to Jewish converts who were 
familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures. The 
Jews also are spoken to as outside the Church. I 
Thess. 2: 14-16. 

These former servants of many gods and wor- 
shipers of idols had proved their Christian faith and | 
love by their patience and labors. Their generosity | 
was an example to other churches. I Thess. 1: 2-8. 


Persecution. We discover that Paul was anxious 
about these Christians because of the hardship and 
persecution they would have to endure. I Thess. 3: 
4,5. This Paul had expected, and when he was with 
them he had told them plainly that they must suffer. 
for Christ’s sake. The Christians in Jerusalem and 
Judea had suffered persecution, and the Christians of 
Thessalonica could not expect to escape a similar 
experience. I Thess. 2: 13-16. But Paul was 
comforted by word of the patient endurance of the 
Christians of Thessalonica. I Thess. 3: 6-8; II 
Thess. 1: 3-12. In addition to the persecution which 
the Christians of Thessalonica would have to suffer 
at the hands of their heathen neighbors because they 
had forsaken their gods, they would have to endure 
bitter persecution at the hands of the Jews who 
were jealous because these Gentiles believed that 
Jesus was the Christ, and rejoiced in the salvation 
which the Jews thought belonged to Jews only and 
came through the Mosaic law. 

94 


PROBLEMS OF THE GENTILE CHURCH 


The Return of Christ. In Thessalonica Paul 
had spoken a good deal about the Kingdom of God 
and about Jesus as the King. Acts 17: 7. The 
return of Jesus to reign as King had become the 
great hope of the Thessalonians. They looked for 
his coming immediately. Associated with this ex- 
pectation were certain practical errors which Paul 
sought to correct. 

Some of the Thessalonians were troubled because 
they thought that the believers who died _ before 
_ Jesus returned would miss the blessings of the 
Kingdom. But Paul explained that when Jesus 
returned, the dead in Christ would be raised up 
before the living Christians were caught up to meet 
him. All the consolation of the gospel belonged to 
those who had died in Christ. I Thess. 4: 13-18. 

The Thessalonians were also concerned about the 
time when Jesus would return. Paul therefore re- 
minded them that when he was with them he had 
told them that the coming of Christ would take even 
believers by surprise. I Thess. 5: 1, 2. Compare 
Acts 1: 6-8; Matt. 24: 44. 

Because some in Thessalonica thought that Paul’s 
reference to the coming of Christ indicated that this 
might take place soon, he wrote in his Second Epistle 
that certain events must precede the return of 
Christ. II Thess. 2: 1-12. 

The expectation of the immediate return of Christ 
had led some of the Thessalonian Christians to 
become impractical. Ordinary daily duties seemed 
to them unimportant. They gave up their work 
and became a burden upon their fellow Christians. 


95 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


Paul had set the Thessalonian Christians an example 
of self-support, I Thess. 2: 9, and now he insisted 
that the members of the church must not let their 
hope of Christ’s return make them impractical. 
They must work to earn their living. I Thess. 4: 11. 
The man who will not work has no right to eat. Il 
Thess. 3: 7-15. 


Heathen Immorality. The Thessalonian Chris- 
tians would find it no easy task in heathen surround- 
ings to hold fast to Christian standards of morality, 
but they must “walk worthily of God” who called 
them into his own Kingdom and glory, I Thess. 
2: 12. They must not yield to the temptations of 
lust and passion, but must practice self-control. 
I Thess. 4: 1-8. They must have no share in 
drunken revelings, but must be sober as becomes 
followers of Christ. I Thess. 5: 6-8. It was not 
easy for these Gentile Christians to submit to au- 
thority, and Paul had to exhort them to esteem and 
love those who were their ministers in the Church. 
I Thess. 5: 12-22. i 

The Christians of Thessalonica would be marked 
people in Thessalonica. If the members of the 
church, therefore, did not conduct themselves as 
Christians ought, the loyal members of the church 
must separate themselves from these disorderly 
persons as if they were heathen. But this separation 
was not to be in anger or pride but in love and in the 
spirit of brotherliness. II Thess. 3: 6-15. 


Summary. Paul and Silas went through Syria 
and Cilicia, confirming the churches. They visited 
96 


PROBLEMS OF THE GENTILE CHURCH 


Derbe, Lystra, and Iconium, and were joined by 
Timothy. At Troas, as they planned to enter 
Europe, Luke became a member of the party. 
Churches were established at Philippi, Thessalonica, 
and Berea. After waiting alone in Athens for a 
time, Paul went on to Corinth where he was soon 
joined by Silas and Timothy, who had been sent back 
to visit the church in Thessalonica. From Corinth 
Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica his two 
earliest epistles, in which he dealt with problems 
which had arisen in this Gentile church. 


QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 


1. How do you explain the dispute between Paul and Barna- 
bas? What are the arguments for the position of Paul? of 
Barnabas? What was Paul’s final opinion of Mark? Col. 4: 10; 
Philemon 24; II Tim. 4: 11. 


2. What purpose did the separation of Paul and Barnabas 
serve? Under what circumstances would this separation have 
seriously hurt the Church? 


_38. How do you reconcile Paul’s insistence upon Gentile 
liberty and his circumcision of Timothy? See a commentary on 
Acts 16: 1-38; and the article on “Timothy” in a good Bible 
dictionary, or a life of Paul. 


4. Prepare a report on the meaning of ‘Galatia’ in The Acts 
and in the Epistle to the Galatians. See Lightfoot on Galatians, 
Ramsay’s “The Church in the Roman Empire,” and the article 
on ‘“‘Galatia’’ in a Bible dictionary. 


5. Make a map which can be used for Paul’s Second Mission- 
ary Journey (see a Bible dictionary or a Bible with maps), trace 
on this map the journey of Paul as far as it is covered in the 
lesson, and note on the map the significant events at each place. 


6. What is meant by the ‘‘we” sections in The Acts, and what 
is the significance of these? 


7. Explain the occasion of the writing of Paul’s Epistles to 
the Thessalonians. 


8. Compare the stories in The Acts and in the Epistles to the 
Thessalonians and show how they fit together. 


97 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


9. Read through I and II Thessalonians and pick out the 
chief problems with which these epistles deal. 

10. Make brief outlines of I and II Thessalonians. Outlines 
will be found in a commentary or a Bible dictionary, but the 
student should prepare his own outline directly from the epistles 
themselves. 


Tur Books or THE NEW TESTAMENT 


The Gospel :— Romans ; James 
According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
According to Mark II Corinthians II Peter 
According to Luke Galatians I John 
According to John Ephesians IT John 

The Acts Philippians It John 

Colossians Jude 


I Thessalonians’ Revelation 
II Thessalonians 

I Timothy 

Ii Timothy 

Titus 

Philemon 

Hebrews 


CHAPTER XI 
THE GOSPEL TESTED IN A HEATHEN CITY 


Scripture Material to Be Read: Acts 18: 1 to 19: if 
I and II Corinthians 


The Problems of the Chapter. To discover the 
difficulties which the gospel of Christ would have to 
encounter in a heathen city like Corinth, and to find 
what light is thrown upon these conflicts by Paul’s 
Epistles to the Corinthians. 


A Great Heathen City. After his adventures in 
Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens, Paul 
came to Corinth. The ancient city of Geen with 
its history of fourteen hundred years, had fa in 
ruins after its destruction by the Romans in 146 z. co 
until Julius Caesar had rebuilt it Uapneeweven 
years before Paul’s visit.” The growth of the new 
city had been so rapid that it soon surpassed its 
former wealth and magnificence. It boasted a 
great temple of Venus with a thousand courtesans. 
The very name of the city was associated with volup- 
tuous living. Aristophanes, the Attic writer of 
comedies (448-380 B.c.), used the word “Corin- 
thianize” with the significance of profligate indulgence. 
This was used of the old city, of course, but the new 
Corinth carried over many of its traditions. To this 
city, engulfed in the tides of business and caught in 

: 99 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


the whirlpool of pleasure and indulgence, Paul came 
with the gospel of Jesus with its exalted ideals of 
character and its high standards of conduct. If the 
gospel could conquer here, there was no place where 
it could not be victorious. 


The Beginning of Missionary Work. Alone 
Paul came to this great heathen city. What could 
one man do in Corinth? His approach to his task 
was commonplace and practical. A tentmaker by 
trade, he sought employment by means of which he 
could support himself. He found a Jew, Aquila, and 
his wife, Priscilla, who had fled from Italy because of 
the edict of the Emperor Claudius commanding all 
Jews to leave Rome. Acts 18: 1-3. Luke does not 
tell us that they had previously been led to believe in 
Jesus, but if they were not already disciples Paul soon 
won them to the faith as he toiled with them at the 
common trade. 

It was a simple matter for Paul to find in Corinth 
a congregation to listen to his teaching, for there 
was at least one synagogue in this commercial city. 
The congregation was composed not only of Jews but 
also of Gentiles who were worshipers of the one God. 
To this congregation Paul presented the message of 
Jesus as the Christ. Acts 18: 4. After the arrival 
~ of Silas and Timothy from Macedonia, Paul preached 
with new vigor, and when the Jews rejected the 
gospel he left the synagogue and began a Gentile 
mission in Corinth in the house of Titus Justus, a 
worshiper of the true God, who lived next door to 
the synagogue. This led to a clear division among 

100 


THE GOSPEL TESTED IN A HEATHEN CITY 


the Jews, for those who believed the gospel joined 
the Church. Among these was Crispus, the ruler 
of the synagogue. Acts 18: 5-8. 


The Church in Corinth. Paul’s ministry in 
Corinth lasted a year and a half. Acts 18:11. The 
work at times must have been utterly disheartening, 
for God gave him a special vision for his encourage- 
ment, in which he assured Paul, “Be not afraid, but 
speak and hold not thy peace: for I am with thee, 
and no man shall set on thee to harm thee: for I 
have much people in this city.” 

The Jews did all they could to hamper the work of 
the church. They brought charges against Paul 
before the proconsul of Achaia, but the proconsul, 
Gallio, looked upon the case as one of difference of 
opinion between sects of the Jews and refused to 
have anything to do with the charges. The scene 
ended in a riot in which Sosthenes, the ruler of the 
synagogue, was beaten. 

The difficulties of the work, however, were not 
limited to persecution by the Jews, for Paul had the 
laborious task of imparting to the heathen Corin- 
thians the high ideals of the Christian religion, and 
of developing in them Christian attitudes and habits. 
To eradicate heathen ideas and substitute Christian 
ideas for them, to persuade the believers in Jesus to 
live as Christians ought to live, in the midst of the 
temptations and allurements and low standards of 
Corinth, was a gigantic undertaking. If there had 
not been in the gospel a power of God unto salvation, 
the task would have been impossible of achievement, 

101 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


but the gospel offered the grace of God, the power of 
the living Christ in the heart, and the work of the 
Holy Spirit within the soul. Compare I Cor. 2: 1-5. 
Paul saw many in Corinth turn from idol worship 
and the immorality of heathenism to the worship of 
the one true God and to holy living. But when, 
after eighteen months of preaching and teaching, 
the time came for him to leave Corinth, he knew that 
only the grace of God could keep these converts true 
and enable the church to go on in its work of evangel- 
ization in that great city. 


Paul’s Departure. No doubt with great sorrow 
on the part of both Paul and the Christians of Corinth, 
the apostle set sail with Priscilla and Aquila for 
Ephesus, where he stayed for a short time only, 
promising, however, to return later if he found this 
possible. Leaving Priscilla and Aquila at Ephesus, 
Paul sailed to Cesarea, and from there he went to 
Jerusalem and then to Antioch, thus bringing to its 
close his Second Missionary Journey. 


Paul Begins His Third Missionary Journey. 
After a stay of some time in Antioch, Paul visited 
again the churches of Galatia and Phrygia, strength- 
ening the faith of the believers. At this point Luke 
introduces us to Apollos, a Jew of Alexandria, a student 
of the Old Testament Scriptures, a scholar and an 
orator, who was instructed in gospel doctrine by 
Priscilla and Aquila. When Paul reached Ephesus 
he found disciples there, and he began a ministry 
which extended through three years. This ministry 
will be considered in the next chapter. 

102 


THE GOSPEL TESTED IN A HEATHEN CITY 


Word from Corinth. At Ephesus word came to 
Paul from the church in Corinth, and the news was 
disquieting. It is thought that he then wrote a 
letter to the church in Corinth, which has been lost, 
I Cor. 5: 9, and that, when the trouble seemed even 
more serious than he had thought, he wrote another 
letter, I Corinthians. Many think that after writing 
this epistle he made a hurried trip to Corinth. See 
II Cor. 12: 14; 13: 1. Before leaving Ephesus at 
the close of his ministry there, he sent Titus to 
Corinth, expecting Titus to meet him at Troas, 
(For New Testament references to Titus see Gal. 
2. oslius 12411 Cor. 2:13; 7; 6, 13; 876,16; 12:18;) 
When Titus failed to meet Paul there, the apostle in 
great anxiety went on into Macedonia, where Titus 
joined him with encouraging word from Corinth. 
II Cor. 2: 12-14; 7: 6-16.. Then Paul. wrote his 
Second Epistle to the Corinthians. From Mace- 
donia he went to Corinth and spent the winter with 
the church there, personally completing the qpepne 
and BL aAD Zon of the church. 


Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians. Read 
through I Corinthians and see what you can discover 
for yourself concerning Paul and concerning the 
Corinthian church. 

A number of. facts concerning Paul as the writer 
of this epistle are readily discovered. Paul had 
received word from Corinth through members of the 
household of Chloe, a Christian woman, probably of 
Corinth. Ch. 1: 11. Paul had laid the foundation 
of the church in Corinth. Ch. 3: 10. He was 

103 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


planning to come to Corinth. Ch. 4: 19. He had 
written a previous epistle. Ch. 5: 9. He had sup- 
ported himself while a missionary in Corinth. Ch. 9: 
12, 18. He was now at Ephesus where he planned to 
remain until Pentecost, but he was planning then to 
go to Macedonia and after that to spend the winter 
in Corinth. Ch. 16: 5-9. Stephanas, an early con- 
vert in Greece, and Fortunatus and Achaicus had 
reached Paul with their help for the apostle. Ch. 16: 
15, 17. This much concerning Paul is evident from 
the letter. 

Now what can we discover concerning the Corin- 
thian church? We find that there were factions in 
the church. There was a Paul faction, an Apollos 
faction, and a Cephas, or Peter, faction, and one 
faction that called itself the Christ followers. This 
condition Paul rebuked with the utmost severity, 
insisting that he and other workers were not leaders 
of parties but the messengers of Christ and fellow 
workers with Christ in building up the Church. 
Chol: 1041753 :1—-15,, 21-235; 

We find that the work of Paul had been disparaged 
in Corinth because he did not have the presence and 
the rhetorical speech of certain other professed 
Christian teachers who came to Corinth after Paul’s 
departure. Paul frankly acknowledged that he had 
been with them in weakness and fear and much 
trembling. Ch. 2: 3. His preaching had not the 
eloquence of the rhetorician. V. 4. But he pro- 
claimed the true gospel of Christ with a power of 
the Spirit of God. Vs. 4, 5. While he had not 
attempted to win the people to Christ by worldly 

104 


THE GOSPEL TESTED IN A HEATHEN CITY 


wisdom, he had not lacked God’s wisdom; any lack 
had been on the part of the Corinthians themselves 
who had not been ready for strong spiritual food. 
Ch. 2: 6 to 3: 2, 18-20. After all, the church in 
Corinth was not made up of the worldly-wise and 
influential; rather God had shown his wisdom and 
his power by using commonplace people to establish 
his Church in Corinth. Ch. 1: 26-31. 

One of the most serious difficulties in the Corin- 
thian church was the failure of some of its members 
to break away completely from heathen immorality. 
Formerly accustomed to impurity even in connection 
with their heathen religious rites, they failed to realize 
the absolute necessity of living pure lives as Christians. 
The conduct of members of the church had brought 
shame upon the church. Such a condition must be 
remedied at once. Ch. 5: 1-13. Related to this 
problem was the problem of Christian marriage. 
The high standards of the Church concerning the — 
sanctity of marriage raised questions. What should 
be the Christian’s attitude toward marriage? Should 
Christians marry at all? What was Christian duty 
when a man was converted but his wife remained a 
heathen, or when a wife was converted and her 
husband remained a heathen? What should a 
Christian father do about his unmarried daughters? 
Under what conditions was divorce permissible? All 
these and other questions must be decided, and con- 
cerning these Paul wrote. Ch. 7. 

_ There was another problem in the church in 

Corinth. The Corinthians had left the worship of 

heathen gods and idols to serve the one true God, but 
105 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


because they lived in a heathen city, surrounded by 
idolatry, it was difficult to keep from all the entangle- 
ments of idolatry. Could a Christian, for example, 
purchase meat in the market and eat it without 
sharing in idolatry, if that meat had been related in 
any way to idolatrous sacrifices? Paul’s reply is 
interesting. Because Christians do not believe that 
the gods of the heathen are realities, or that idols 
are anything more than images, they need not be 
concerned about whether meat has been offered to 
idols or not. But if some one, not yet liberated from 
the idea that the heathen gods are a reality, feels 
that Christians who eat meat offered to idols are 
sharing in idolatry, then Paul said that for the weak 
brother’s sake the Christian to whom idols are 
nothing should not eat, lest he lead his weak brother 
back to idol worship. There must be no compromise 
with idolatry, lest the Corinthians fall into the same 
condemnation as the Israelites in the wilderness. 
‘Chs. 8; 10. 

Evidently advantage was taken in Corinth of the 
fact that Paul was so considerate of those with whom 
he worked, and upon his self-denial was based the 
argument that he felt that he did not have the same . 
rights as the other apostles. With this question he 
dealt in ch. 9, in which he insisted upon his right to 
be. supported by the Church, but declared that he 
chose to maintain himself by his own labors and 
that he was willing to make any sacrifice to win 
men to Christ. 

A number of matters in connection with the con- 
duct of the services of the church needed to be cor- 


106 


THE GOSPEL TESTED IN A HEATHEN CITY 


rected. One problem was the place of women in the 
churches. Christianity has exalted womanhood. In 
Christ there is no male or female. But evidently 
some of the women in the church in Corinth had let 
this great truth lead them to disregard certain pro- 
prieties involved in the social relations of women in 
the church, and to assert their rights and independ- 
ence in a way that caused disturbance. This situa- 
tion needed to be corrected and controlled. Ch. 11: 
2-16. 

The Lord’s Supper, the precious sacrament of the 
Christian Church, was being perverted by the 
Corinthians. The sacrament had deteriorated into 
a mere feast. To correct this situation Paul made 
his famous statement concerning the nature and 
meaning of the sacrament. Ch. 11: 17-34. 

In the Apostolic Church there was the gift of 
tongues. This was not exactly the same as the gift 
of tongues on the day of Pentecost when the apostles’ 
message was understood by visitors from many lands. 
_ Rather it was an ecstatic state in which a person 
uttered words which sometimes neither he nor his 
hearers understood. This ‘gift’? became a source of 
disorder and confusion in the Church. Paul ex- 
plained that the gift of tongues was only one of many 
gifts, all of which were of the same Spirit, and urged 
that the gift of tongues was a minor and not a major 
gift. The gift of tongues should not therefore be a 
reason for personal pride. There should be no 
jealousy among the members of the Church. Ch. 12. - 
To teach the supreme importance of love, he wrote 
the famous thirteenth chapter of I Corinthians, and 

107 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


then gave practical directions for the proper use of 
the gift of tongues, and the conduct of the services 
of the Church, ch. 14. 

Evidently the church in Corinth was disturbed 
about the doctrine of the resurrection, for Paul dealt 
at length with this important question in the famous 
fifteenth chapter of this epistle. 

Paul concluded his letter with a statement con- 
cerning the fund for the church in Jerusalem which 
was being raised among the Gentile churches, with 
statements concerning his plans, and with greetings 
from his fellow workers in Ephesus. 


The Second Epistle to the Corinthians. When 
Titus reported to Paul in Macedonia that the Corin- 
thians had been obedient to his letter and had dis- 
ciplined those who had been guilty of immorality, 
he wrote his Second Epistle, which he addressed to 
all the Christians in Achaia.: II Cor. 1: 1. In this 
letter Paul unburdened his heart to his Corinthian 
friends who had now shown their loyalty. He told 
the Corinthians of his terrible suffering in Ephesus, 
ch. 1: 8-11, expressed his appreciation of the loyalty 
of the Corinthians, ch. 1: 12-14, and referred to his 
expected coming to Corinth, ch. 1: 15 to 2:4. Paul 
commended the Corinthians for their loyal discipline 
of the most serious offender in the church and urged 
his restoration in the church in view of his repentance. 
Ch. 2: 5-11. At considerable length Paul discussed 
his ministry with its trials and its triumphs, ch. 2: 
12 to 6: 138, and once more urged a complete break 
with heathenism and idolatry, ch. 6:14 to 7:1. Great 

108 


THE GOSPEL TESTED IN A HEATHEN CITY 


comfort had come to Paul through the message of 
Titus concerning their repentance. Ch. 7: 2-16. In 
chapters 8 and 9 he discussed the collection which 
was being taken for the church in Jerusalem. Then, 
ch. 10: 1 to 12: 13, he vindicated his claims as an 
apostle. by an appeal to his authority and his self- 
sacrificing and heroic service. Through this char- 
acterization of himself there runs a fine vein of humor, 
for he imitated those teachers who had won the 
admiration of the Corinthians by their boasting. 
Again Paul referred to his plan to visit Corinth and 
closed his epistle with a greeting and with the apostolic 
benediction. 


Summary. From Athens Paul went to the city 
of Corinth, notorious for its heathen immorality. 
In spite of Jewish opposition and heathen environ- 
ment a strong church was established. After leaving 
Corinth Paul completed his Second Missionary 
Journey and set out on his Third Journey. At 
Ephesus word came to him of divisions, immorality, 
and doctrinal and practical problems in Corinth. To 
deal with this situation he wrote I Corinthians. 
Later, after Titus joined him in Macedonia, he wrote 
II Corinthians. 


QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 


1. Describe the city of Corinth and conditions there in Paul’s 
day. See article on “Corinth” in a Bible dictionary. See also a 
good commentary. 

2. Insert on your map places named in the lesson and indicate 
any important events which took place there. 

3. Prepare to tell vividly and accurately the story of Paul’s 
mission of eighteen months in Corinth. See a commentary on 


109 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


The Acts, ch. 18: 1-17, a good life of Paul, and articles on ‘‘Paul” 
and ‘‘Corinthians” and ‘‘Corinth” in a Bible dictionary. 

' 4, Read through I Corinthians and note every reference which 
gives information concerning Paul’s situation at the time he 
wrote the epistle. 


5. Read through I Corinthians and note the different probleme 
which had arisen in the church in Corinth and how Paul dealt with 
these problems. 


6. Find out all you can about Apollos and about Titus. See 
a Bible dictionary under ‘‘Apollos” and ‘“Titus.”’ 


7. Make an outline of I Corinthians, 
8. What was the occasion of the writing of II Conran? 


9. What light does II Corinthians throw upon the life of 
Paul? 


10. Make an outline of II Grcntiiens 


11. Write a comparison of the heathen customs which the 
gospel encountered in Corinth and the customs which the gospel 
must encounter to-day in some non-Christian land. 


Tue Books OF THE NEw TESTAMENT 


The Gospel :— Romans James 
According to Matthew I Corinthians J Peter 
According to Mark II Corinthians II Peter 
According to Luke Galatians I John 
According to John Ephesians IT John 

The Acts Philippians IIT John 

Colossians Jude 


I Thessalonians’ Revelation 
II Thessalonians 

I Timothy 

Il Timothy 

Titus 

Philemon 

Hebrews 


110 


CHAPTER XII _ 


THE GOSPEL’S CONFLICT WITH IDOLATRY 
| AND POLYTHEISM 


Scripture Material to Be Read: Acts, chs. 19; 20 


The Problem of the Chapter. What was the 
attitude of the Apostolic Church toward idolatry, as 
illustrated especially in Paul’s experience at Ephesus? 


Preparation for Paul’s Work in Ephesus. 
Paul had stopped at Ephesus on his Second Missionary 
Journey on his way back from Corinth. Acts 18: 19. 
At this time he taught in the synagogue and created 
considerable interest in the gospel, but he remained 
only a short time. When Paul departed from 
Ephesus he left Priscilla and Aquila there. These two 
Christians were evidently of a retiring disposition, 
but they were thoroughly instructed in the gospel 
and in a quiet way would help along the work which 
had been begun by Paul. At this time Apollos came 
to Ephesus. He was a student of the Old Testament 
Scriptures, trained in the school at Alexandria, and 
was a brilliant speaker, so that he was able with 
great power to prove to the Jews that Jesus was the 
Christ. But Priscilla and Aquila, who had been 
taught by Paul, readily saw that Apollos did not 
understand fully the gospel of Christ. His knowl- 
edge seemed to be based upon the teaching of John 

111. 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


the Baptist rather than upon the teaching of those 
who had been with Jesus to the end. When these 
two quiet disciples explained to Apollos more accu- 
rately concerning the gospel, he was quick to see the 
truth. Before Paul reached Ephesus for the second 
time Apollos had gone on to Corinth where he did a 
splendid work in watering the seed which Paul had 
already planted there. When Paul arrived in Ephesus 
therefore he found a band of believers who had been 
taught first by himself, then by Priscilla and Aquila 
and Apollos. But even then Paul discovered a group 
of the believers in Ephesus who had not got beyond 
the baptism of John, which was the baptism of 
repentance: they did not know of the gift and work 
of the Holy Spirit. He explained therefore the baptism 
which was not only a sign of repentance but 
also a sign of faith in Jesus Christ, and when these 
believers were baptized they received the Holy 
Spirit and exhibited the gifts of tongues and of 
prophecy which were common in the apostolic 
churches. With the moral support of this band of 
believers in Ephesus, Paul was ready for his great 
campaign which lasted for three years. Acts 20: 31. 


Conditions in Ephesus. Paul and Barnabas had 
come in contact with idolatry and polytheism in 
Lystra, where they were taken for Jupiter and 
Mercury by the people, and the priest of Jupiter from 
the temple before the city prepared to offer sacrifices 
to them. Acts 14: 8-18. In Ephesus Paul would 
encounter idolatry and polytheism in all their power. 

Ephesus was the city of Diana, and the worship of 

112 


CONFLICT WITH IDOLATRY AND POLYTHEISM 


this goddess dominated not only the city itself but 
also the surrounding country. The temple of Diana 
was one of the wonders of the ancient world. “The 
scale on which the temple was erected was mag- 
nificently extensive. It was four hundred and 
twenty-five feet in length and two hundred and 
twenty in breadth, and the columns were sixty feet 
high. The number of columns was one hundred and 
twenty-seven, each of them a gift of a king; and 
thirty-six of them were enriched with ornaments 
and color... . The value and fame of the temple 
were enhanced by its being the treasury in which a 
large portion of the wealth of western Asia was 
stored up. It is probable that there was no religious 
building in the world on which was concentrated a 
greater ancient admiration, enthusiasm, and super- 
stition.” (Conybeare and Howson.) In this temple 
was the image of Diana, primitive and rude, more 
Oriental than Greek. This idol was an object of the 
utmost veneration and was the model on which the 
images for worship in other cities were formed. 
When Paul came to Ephesus he came to the city 
which was the throne of one of the most famous of 
heathen goddesses. 

Models of the image of Diana and of the shrine 
in which the idol was kept within the temple were 
made objects of devotion. These were used to bring 
Success to military expeditions, to journeys, or to 
homes. They were purchased by pilgrims to the 
city and became idolatrous talismans or charms. 
Ephesus, therefore, was a center for the spread of 
this form of idolatry. 

113 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


Magic also was inseparably connected with the 
worship of Diana. The ‘“‘Ephesian Letters’ were — 
engraved on the crown, girdle, and feet of the god- 
dess. ‘These letters were written and carried as 
amulets, and they were pronounced as charms. The 
study of these magic letters was a science and many 
books were written by those who practiced this art. 

Into this seat of idolatry and of charms and magic 
Paul came with his message of the one true God and 
the simple and spiritual worship of the Christian 
religion. How did Paul meet the issues which were 
involved in this situation? | 


How Paul’s Work Began. When he began his 
work, Paul had the moral support of a small band of 
believers. The synagogue in Ephesus became the 
scene of his labors, for here he preached the gospel, 
proving from the Scriptures the claims concerning 
Jesus as the Christ. Many were persuaded by 
Paul. As was so often the case, however, a group of 
Jews not only rejected his message but became his 
bitter opponents. Not content with rejecting the 
gospel, they undertook to stir up opposition against 
Paul in the city. Acts 19: 9. Thus, after three 
months of teaching in the synagogue, Paul followed 
the same course which he had taken in Corinth. He 
and those who believed the gospel withdrew from 
the synagogue and established their headquarters in 
the school of Tyrannus, who was probably a Gentile 
convert to the faith. 


Paul’s Ministry in Ephesus. Much light is - 
thrown upon the ministry of Paul in Ephesus by his 
114 


CONFLICT WITH IDOLATRY AND POLYTHEISM 


address to the elders of Ephesus at Miletus as he was 
returning from his Third Missionary Journey. Acts 
20: 17-35. Luke tells us that for two years Paul 
taught in the school of Tyrannus, which became a 
center of Christian influence which was felt through- 
out the whole province among both Jews and Gentiles. 
If his stay in Ephesus lasted three years, Acts 20: 31, 
and he spent three months in the synagogue and ten 
years in the school of Tyrannus, we might conjecture 
that a church was organized in Ephesus, with its 
own place of meeting, which was the center of Paul’s 
work for the rest of the time. Paul supported him- | 
self by working at his trade, but probably at hours 
which would not prevent his taking advantage of the 
best time of the day for preaching and teaching. His 
ministry was not limited to public meetings, but he 
went from house to house to persuade and confirm 
believers and to counsel with them concerning the 
Christian life. Acts 20: 20. Every home which 
became Christian was a new center of Christian in- 
fluence. A strong church was established in Ephesus 
and other congregations were organized in outlying 
cities and towns, so that Christianity began to make 
its influence felt in the life of Ephesus and of the 
province of which it was the capital. 


The Gospel and Idolatry. Evidently Paul was 
careful not to arouse unnecessary antagonism by 
attacks upon idolatry. In Lystra he had tried to 
lead the people to a knowledge of the true God as 
superior to the gods whom they worshiped, thus 
seeking to eliminate idolatry and polytheism through 

115 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


the knowledge of something better rather than by 
denouncing the beliefs of heathenism. In Athens 
he endeavored without unnecessary denunciation of 
heathen gods to lead to faith in the one true God. 
So in Ephesus his heathen opponents had to acknowl- 
edge that he had not attacked or desecrated the 
temple of Diana or blasphemed the goddess. Yet 
Paul the Hebrew and Paul the Christian could not 
yield any ground to the idea that there is any god 
save the one true God. Paul’s ministry was positive 
rather than negative, however. He revealed the 
true God instead of attacking directly the worship 
of Diana. But when the Ephesians were won to 
faith in the one true God, he was clean-cut and 
positive in his demand for a complete breaking away 
from all idolatrous worship. In the light of this 
statement read again what Paul wrote from Ephesus 
to the church in Corinth, I Cor., ch. 8; 10: 14-33. 
Certain things happened in Ephesus which must 
have made a great appeal to the people. The 
Ephesians practiced the use of charms and amulets. 
The Holy Spirit saw fit to give Paul unusual mi- 
raculous power in Ephesus, Acts 19: 11, which the 
people of Ephesus accepted as convincing evidence 
of Paul’s authority as a teacher and of the truth of 
his message. In this city of magic and charms and 
incantations, the sons of Sceva, Jews who claimed to 
have power to cast out evil spirits, tried to use the 
name of Jesus as a magical formula, but the demoniac 
attacked them with the cry, “Jesus I know, and Paul 
I know; but who are ye?” ‘The event, news of which 
spread through the city, made a great impression, 
116 


CONFLICT WITH IDOLATRY AND POLYTHEISM 


and served to bring honor to the name of Jesus and 
to lead to a renunciation of magic and incantations 
by many who had been won to faith in Christ. 
Former practicers of magic brought their books 
containing their formulas of incantation and burnt 
them, as a sign of complete renunciation. 

Christianity’s influence became so great in Ephesus 
and the surrounding region that there was a distinct 
falling off in the worship of Diana and in the 
sales of shrines and images. The disgruntled 
silversmiths blamed their waning business upon Paul. 
Acts 19: 23-41. A riot resulted and the mob assem- 
bled in the theater where were dragged all the com- 
panions of Paul upon whom the mob could lay hands. 
When Paul, discovering the situation, desired to 
protect his associates by appearing in the theater, he 
was persuaded by influential friends not to venture 
into the crowd. The town clerk, or “recorder,” a 
magistrate of great authority, by his shrewd and 
politic handling of the situation succeeded in dis- 
persing the crowd. | 

As soon as things quieted down after the riot, Paul 
made his departure from Ephesus, but he left a 
strong church there and in the surrounding country. 
Thus the gospel met idolatry in its stronghold and 
proved its power through the positive preaching of 
faith in one true God who is a Spirit and in Jesus 
Christ, his Son, as Saviour. 


Paul’s Further Journey. From Ephesus, as we 
learned, Paul wrote his First Epistle to the Corin- 
thians. After leaving Ephesus he went to Mace- 

bis 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


donia, where he was met by Titus who brought word 
from Corinth. ‘Then he wrote his Second Epistle to 
the Corinthians. He went on to Corinth where he 
spent three months. A plot by the Jews led him to 
leave Corinth and return by way of Macedonia. 
Here Luke and others became his fellow travelers. 
Acts 20: 4-6 (note the ‘‘we’’). On his journey Paul 
preached at Troas, held a conference at Miletus with 
the elders from the church in Ephesus, spent a week 
at Tyre with disciples, a day with disciples in Ptole- 
mais, some days in Cesarea in the home of Philip, 
the deacon and evangelist, and then went on to Jeru- 
salem. Again and again while on his way Paul was 
warned that danger awaited him at Jerusalem, but 
with unwavering purpose he pressed on, ready to die 
if need be in that city to which he felt that duty was 

calling him. 


Summary. On his Third Missionary Journey 
Paul came to Ephesus, the seat of the worship of 
Diana. Here Paul demonstrated the power of the 
gospel to win men from polytheism and idolatry to 
the worship of the one true God, and proved Chris- 
tianity’s power to permeate a heathen society through 
the positive and constructive teaching of the religion 
of Jesus rather than by negative attacks upon the 
beliefs and practices of polytheism and idolatry. 
Following his three years’ labors in Ephesus, Paul 
completed his Third Missionary Journey and reached 
the city of Jerusalem, after being warned again and 
again by prophets and friends that danger threatened 
him there. 

118 


CONFLICT WITH IDOLATRY AND POLYTHEISM 


QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 


1. On a map trace the movements of Paul in the chapter and, 
in connection with each place named, indicate any events of 
special interest. 

2. Describe the religious condition of Ephesus before the 
arrival of Paul. See a commentary on the portion of The Acts 
dealing with the ministry of Paul in Ephesus, articles in a Bible 
dictionary on “Ephesus” and ‘‘Diana,”’ and lives of Paul. 


3. Based upon the account of Luke in The Acts and Paul’s 
address at Miletus to the elders from the church in Ephesus, give 
an account of the ministry of Paul in Ephesus. 


4, On the basis of the account of the riot stirred up by 
Demetrius prepare a statement concerning the progress of the 
gospel in Ephesus. | 


5. Assuming that Paul taught in Ephesus the same principles 
which he laid down in his First Epistle to the Corinthians written 
from Ephesus, tell what you believe Paul would have taught the 
Ephesian converts concerning their relation to the practices of 
idolatry. Would there be any difference in Paul’s attitude toward 
idolatry in dealing with unconverted idolaters and with converted 
idolaters? 


6. Compare Paul’s method of approach to idolaters and 
polytheists, as this is indicated in the chapter, with the attitude 
of a modern missionary toward the religious faith and practices 
of the people in some non-Christian land. For an example see 
Henry C. Mabie’s “Method in Soul Winning,” Chapter V, on 
“Tact in Personal Approach.” . He refers also to the last chapter 
in Hume’s ‘‘Missions from the Modern View.” 


THE Books or THE New TESTAMENT 


The Gospel:— Romans James 
According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
According to Mark Il Corinthians II Peter 
According to Luke ‘Galatians I John 
According to John Ephesians IT John 

The Acts Philippians III John 

Colossians Jude 


I Thessalonians. Revelation 
iI Thessaloniaaik 

IT Timothy 
II Timothy 
Titus 
Philemon 
Hebrews 


119 


CHAPTER XIII’ 


ORGANIZATION IN THE NEW TESTAMENT 
CHURCH 


Scripture Material to Be Read: See references in the 
body of the chapter 


The Problem of the Chapter. To discover 
what the New Testament books themselves reveal 
concerning organization as it was finally developed 
in the New Testament Church. 


A Group of Two Chapters. This is a good point 
at which to pause in our study of the story of the 
Church and of the books of the New Testament as 
they were written to meet the needs which arose 
from time to time in the Church, and to consider two 
important questions which have always been of 
interest in the Christian Church. These are the 
questions of government and of doctrine. Can we 
discover in the New Testament sufficient facts to 
give us a fairly clear idea of how the Church in the 
days of the apostles was organized to do its work in 
the world, and can we find a brief statement of what 
was included in the message of what we call “the 
gospel”? which the Church proclaimed? The first 
of these questions will be considered in this chapter; 
the second will be considered in the following chapter. 
Then we shall turn again to the story of Paul because 

120 


ORGANIZATION IN THE CHURCH 


it is related to other books which we should consider 
in a study of the development of the New Testament. 


The Purpose of Organization in the Church. 
Evidently organization in the Church is secondary, 
and the -Church’s task is primary, for Jesus clearly 
gave the Church its task but there is no record of his 
Saying anything about the form of organization 
through which the task was to be performed. In 
Chapter IV we noted that Jesus was an organizer. 
He organized his disciples to meet situations which 
he foresaw and he used organization to meet emer- 
gencies as they arose. He was systematic and busi- 
nesslike. The apostles were therefore also systematic 
and businesslike. When a situation which needed 
to be handled through organization presented itself 
in the Church, the apostles were not disconcerted, 
but proceeded to create organization to meet the 
need. But always the task was primary and or- 
ganization secondary. Jesus established a Church 
with a mission; the Church organized for its mission 
as the task grew and as the field broadened. The 
life of the Church kept ahead of its organization; 
organization was not. projected theoretically and 
then put into operation; it grew as the Church grew. 
Therefore we should not expect to find a form of 
organization outlined in the New Testament; rather 
we find how the living Church, doing its work, 
growing in numbers, and spreading through wider 
areas, built up an organization to meet the needs of 
its growing work. The organization of the Church 
on the day of Pentecost was not the same as the 

AR 121 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


organization of the Church at the close of the New 
Testament. We are therefore to attempt to trace in 
a general way the development of the Church’s 
organization at the time considered in Chapter IV 
as it fitted itself for its growing mission. 


The Church. At this point we should get clearly 
in mind what is meant by the word “‘church” in the 
New Testament. The word “church” is used by 
Jesus himself in Matt. 16: 18 and 18: 17, and these 
are the only instances of its use in the Gospels. But 
we encounter the word early in The Acts. In the 
Authorized Version it is found in Acts 2: 47, just 
after the account of the day of Pentecost, but it 
appears first in the Revised Version in Acts 5: 11, 
just after the incident of the deceit of Ananias and 
Sapphira. 

The Greek word translated “church” is ekklesia, 
which means “assembly” and corresponds to the 
Latin word congregatio which has been taken over 
into English as the word “congregation.” It cor- 
responds also to the Greek word sunagoge, from 
which we get our word “synagogue” and which 
occurs throughout the Greek Old Testament trans- 
lating the Hebrew words meaning ‘‘assembly” and 
“meeting.”’ The ecclesia or church is, therefore, in 
the Christian sense, “fan assembly of Christians 
gathered for worship” or ‘‘a company of Christians, 
or of those who, hoping for eternal salvation through 
Jesus Christ, observe their own religious rites, hold 
their own religious meetings, and manage their own 
affairs according to regulations prescribed for the 

122 


ORGANIZATION IN THE CHURCH 
body for order’s sake,” or ‘those who anywhere, in 
city or village, constitute such a company and are 
united into one body,” or “the whole body of Chris- 
tians scattered throughout the earth; collectively, all 
who worship and honor God and Christ in whatever 
place they may be.”” (Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon 
of the New Testament.) 

In the New Testament the word “church” is not 
used of a building. It means the group of people 
who meet together in any place for the worship of 
God, or the local body of believers in Jesus, or it may 
be used in the sense of all the churches of an area 
thought of as one body, or it may be used of all 
believers taken together as the body of Christ. 
When we speak of organization in the Church we 
mean organization in a local church or in the wider 
groups of churches. In this chapter we are to see 
what the New Testament reveals concerning or- 
ganization in the Church whether in local congre- 
gations or in the Church in the larger sense. 


The Apostles. On the day of Pentecost, when the 
Church began its work after awaiting the coming of 
the Holy Spirit as Jesus had directed, Acts 1: 4, 8, the 
apostles, as pointed out in Chapter IV, were the 
authorities in the Church. They were its teachers 
and its disciplinarians. They admitted new members 
and dealt with the unfaithful. Decisions rested with 
them. Responsibility for the whole Church was 
upon their shoulders. 

The apostolic office was not transferable. See 
Chapter IV. 

123 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


In its special sense the title ‘‘apostle’ is applied 
only to the Twelve and to Paul. The word is used 
of others, however, in the sense of a person sent on 
a mission by the.Church. It is so used of Barnabas 
in association with Paul, when they were in Lystra. 
Acts 14: 14. Epaphroditus is also spoken of as an 
‘apostle’ in the Greek in Phil. 2: 25, but the word is 
translated “messenger.” 

By its very nature, the apostolate was a temporary 
office held only by those who were appointed by 
Jesus himself to be his personal witnesses and under 
whose supervision the Church was to be launched 
upon its mission in the world. So even in the early 
part of The Acts we find the apostles one by one 
dropping out of the history as they went upon their 
apostolic missions, and the local church under the 
direct care of other officers. When Peter was present 
in the council of the church in Jerusalem, he did not 
exercise his apostolic authority in dictating the 
policy of the Church. James, the brother of our 
Lord, presided at the meeting, and Peter was only 
one of the witnesses and speakers. The decision was 
the council’s decision under the presidency of James, 
but a decision in which the “apostles” concurred. 


Deacons. In addition to the apostles, the first 
officers of the Church named in The Acts are deacons. 
As pointed out in Chapter IV, at the beginning these 
officers were appointed by the congregation in Jerusa- — 
lem, at the suggestion of the apostles, to have charge 
of the relief of the poor of the church in order that the 
apostles might be relieved of this burden which was 

124 


ORGANIZATION IN THE CHURCH 


interfering with their giving full time and energy to 
the primary work of the ministry of the word and 
prayer. Acts 6: 1-6. The work of the deacons was 
to “‘superintend the public messes,” or to minister 
to the poor. In the phrase “serve tables” the word 
meaning ‘“‘to serve’ is diakonein. The noun is 
diakonia. From this comes our word “‘deacon.”’ 
Later in connection with many churches of the New 
Testament there is no reference to deacons, so the 
conclusion has been drawn that the diaconate was not 
an essential office. There were deacons in the 
church in Philippi, Phil. 1: 1, and deacons are re- 
ferred to by Paul in his First Epistle to Timothy, 
ch. 3: 8-18. Some have thought that the office of 
deacon was not to be identified with the office of 
those who were called to serve tables in the church 
in Jerusalem, but Paul, “writing thirty years later, 
and stating the requirements of the deaconate, lays 
stress upon those qualifications which would be most 
important in persons moving about from house to 
house and intrusted with the distribution of alms.” 
(Lightfoot.) In some countries women were secluded 
and could not be ministered to by men, so there 
were women deacons, or deaconesses, for this min- 
istry. Paul said, I Tim. 3: 8, 9, that deacons must 
be “grave, not double-tongued, not given to much 
wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; holding the mystery 
of the faith in a pure conscience.”’ Persons were not 
,to be hastily called into this office; they were first to 
be proved and then allowed to serve as deacons, if 
they were blameless. ‘‘Women in like manner must 
be grave, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all 
125 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


things.”” V. 11. Deacons were also to be “husbands 
of one wife, ruling their children and their own 
houses well.”’ V. 12. 


Elders and Bishops. Very soon in The Acts, 
we find references to elders. ‘The word is used of the 
Jewish rulers frequently throughout the Gospels and 
the first chapters of The Acts, but it is used first of 
officers of the Christian Church in Acts 11: 30, after 
the establishment of the church in Antioch, when the 
offering for ‘the brethren that dwelt in Judza”’ was 
sent from Antioch ‘to the elders by the hand of 
Barnabas and Saul.’”’ When Paul and Barnabas 
revisited Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, in returning 
from their First Missionary Journey, they ‘‘appointed 
for them elders in every church,” Acts 14: 28. 
When Paul and Barnabas had their dispute with the 
Judaizers in Antioch, it was decided to go up to 
Jerusalem ‘unto the apostles and elders,” Acts 15: 2, 
so there were elders in the Jerusalem church. In 
Jerusalem there was ‘‘the church,’ or assembly, 
and ‘‘the apostles” and “the elders.”’ Acts 15: 4; so 
also vs. 6, 22, 23. The decrees of the council were 
reported as the decrees of “‘the apostles and elders.” 
Acts 16:4. ‘Toward the end of his Third Missionary 
Journey, Paul summoned the elders of the church in 
Ephesus to meet him at Miletus. Acts 20: 17. 
“James” and “all the elders’ are referred to in 
Acts 21: 18. n 
| Lightfoot has called attention to the fact that when 
deacons are first introduced into the story of the | 
Christian Church Luke carefully describes the oc- 

126 


ORGANIZATION IN THE CHURCH 


easion for their appointment, but elders are referred 
to without any special note. They are taken for 
granted. This is readily explained. As was pointed 
out in Chapter VI, the Christian Church began as a 
Jewish sect. The Jews were accustomed to govern- 
ment by elders, and the Jewish synagogue was under 
the direction and authority of elders, so that in the 
Christian group, whether called a synagogue or a 
church, government by elders would be taken for 
granted. So in the churches very naturally there 
were elders chosen to have the direction of the work 
of the church, and no special attention is called to 
thefact. The eldership was not something new which 
required any explanation or comment. 

The English word “elder” is a translation of the 
Greek word presbuteros, which has been taken over 
into the English as the word “presbyter.” Elder 
and presbyter have the same meaning. Presbytery, 
Greek presbuterion, I Tim. 4: 14, is the body of 
presbyters or elders of the church. 

In the New Testament we find also the title of 
“bishop.” Bishop and elder in the New Testament 
are used interchangeably. Compare Acts 20: 17 
and 28. Presbyter or elder, however, came from 
Hebrew usage. Bishop, or episcopos, “overseer,” is 
rather a Gentile word. “To the officers of Gentile 
churches alone is the term applied, as a synonym for 
presbyter.”” (Lightfoot.) 

References in the New Testament throw consid- 
erable light upon the work of the presbyters, or elders, 
or bishops, in the New Testament Church. The 
elders were responsible for the teaching of the Church. 

127 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


Acts 20: 28, 29. In I Tim. 3: 2, Paul says that an 
elder must be ‘‘apt to teach,”’ and in Titus 1: 9 he says 
that an elder must be one who holds ‘‘to the faithful 
word which is according to the teaching, that he 
may be able both to exhort in the sound doctrine, 
and to convict the gainsayers.”’ Besides being the 
instructors of the congregation, the elders were its 
rulers, responsible for direction and _ discipline. 
These two phases of the work of elders are noted in 
I Tim. 5: 17, where Paul says: ‘Let the elders that 
rule well be counted worthy of double honor, es- 
pecially those who labor in the word and in teaching.” 
Upon this text Calvin based his system of two classes 
of elders: teaching elders and ruling elders. Others 
believe that there were not two classes of elders, but 
that some elders, especially gifted in regard to over- 
sight and discipline, may have made this their chief 
function, while other elders, especially gifted as 
teachers, made the teaching task their chief work 
in the Church. 

The qualifications for elders are given by Paul in 
I Tim. 3: 1-7 and Titus 1: 5-9. That the ministry 
of the church was supported by the church is evident 
from I Cor. 9: 6-14; Gal. 6:6; I Tim. 5: 18. 

One striking fact should not be overlooked in the 
study of the ministry of the New Testament Church. 
There is no mention of a priesthood, except the 
priesthood of all believers. No bishop, elder, deacon, 
or other officer is called a priest. All believers come 
directly to God through Christ, and there is no 
sacrifice for sin save the sacrifice of Christ, offered 
once for all. 

128 


ORGANIZATION IN THE CHURCH 


The Larger Supervision of the Church. Each 
congregation exercised a large measure of autonomy, 
but there was provision in the New Testament Church 
for oversight of the various congregations. When the 
apostles in Jerusalem heard of the successful work of 
Philip in Samaria, they sent Peter and John to observe 
the situation and to give such instruction and assist- 
ance and direction as might be necessary. Acts 8: 
14-25. For a time at least Peter had the oversight 
of the churches of a wide area. Acts 9: 32. When 
a church was formed in Antioch, the church in 
Jerusalem sent Barnabas to investigate and to take 
such action as might be required. Acts 11: 22. 
When Paul and Barnabas had organized the churches 
on Paul’s First Missionary Journey, they not only 
revisited the churches to complete their organization, 
but they also planned later to visit the churches a 
second time. Acts 15: 36. 

The church in Jerusalem was looked upon as the 
mother church from which the gospel had spread 
abroad. To this church, with the apostles, the dis- 
puted question about the observance of the Mosaic 
law was referred, and from the council at Jerusalem 
went forth the decree of ‘‘the apostles and elders, 
with the whole church.” Acts 15: 1-29. Thus we 
find in the New Testament Church the beginning of 
that larger organization of the Church for the over- 
sight and direction and control of its various con- 
gregations which has developed into the episcopal 
oversight and control by bishops in some Churches, 
the representative oversight by presbytery in other 
Churches, or the looser association of congregations 

129 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


in other denominations. In the New Testament 
one Christian Church under a bishop, or one Christian 
Church under a general assembly, or one Christian 
Church under a council had not developed; but the 
foundations were laid for the unification in one 
body of those believers in Jesus who hold to a com- 
mon faith and purpose and desire to unite for spiritual 
development and for Christian service. 


Summary. There is no record of Jesus’ having 
given the apostles any direction concerning the form 
of government of the Church. The Church began 
its ministry under the leadership of the apostles, but 
local congregations were soon under the immediate 
direction of elders (or presbyters, or bishops) who 
were rulers and teachers. They were often assisted . 
in certain temporal ministrations by deacons. The 
different congregations or groups of congregations 
were under the direction at first of the apostles or their 
representatives. Later, councils of apostles, elders, 
and Church members prepared the way for the 
unification, direction, and control of the larger 
Church. 


QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 


1. What is the meaning of the word “church” in the New 
Testament? See a good Bible dictionary. Look up the word 
ekklesia in a Greek lexicon. Look up every use of the word 
“church” in the New Testament. Study the definition of 
“church” in the constitution of your own denomination. Com- 
pare the definitions of “church” in a good English dictionary. 


2. What was the apostolic office? What in its character made 
it necessarily temporary? See a Bible dictionary under ‘‘Apostle”’ 
and the dissertation on ‘The Ministry of the Church” in Light- 
foot’s commentary on Philippians. 


130 


ORGANIZATION IN THE CHURCH 


3. What was the office of deacon in the New Testament 
Church? Consult a Bible dictionary under ‘‘Deacon.”? By means 
of a complete concordance find and study every New Testament 
reference to deacons. See also Lightfoot’s dissertation referred 
to under ‘‘2.” ' 


4. How would you explain Luke’s careful account of the 
origin of deacons in the New Testament Church and his reference 
to elders without any explanation? 

5. Compare the meaning of the words “presbyter,’’ or 
“elder,” and “bishop” in the New Testament. See a Bible 
dictionary and Lightfoot’s dissertation referred to under “2.” 

6. What were the duties of elders and bishops, and what 
were the qualifications for this office in the New Testament? 
Look up the references to elders and bishops in a concordance 
of the New Testament; consult a Bible dictionary and Lightfoot’s 
dissertation. | 

7. What larger oversight of the Church was exercised accord- 
ing to Luke’s account in The Acts? 

8. What was the place, purpose, and importance of organiza- 
tion in the New Testament Church? 


Tue Books or tHe New TESTAMENT 


The Gospel :— Romans James 
According to Matthew + I Corinthians I Peter 
According to Mark If Corinthians IT Peter 
According to Luke Galatians I John 
According to John . Ephesians II John 

The Acts | Philippians III John 

Colossians Jude 


I Thessalonians Revelation 
II Thessalonians 

I Timothy 

II Timothy 

Titus 

Philemon 

Hebrews 


131 


CHAPTER XIV 
THE CHURCH’S TEACHING 


Scripture Material to Be Read: The Epistle to the 
Romans 


The Problem of the Chapter. To try to dis- 
cover the outstanding points in the gospel taught. in 
the New Testament Church. 


The Epistles We Have Considered. We have 
found that the epistles which we have considered in 
this study were written to readers who already knew 
the story of Jesus, to meet specific issues or needs. 
The Epistle of James was written to the scattered 
believers in Jesus to help them in their peculiar cir- 
cumstances. I and II Thessalonians were written 
by Paul to correct certain errors in the Thessalonian 
church which were reported to him. I and II 
Corinthians dealt with special problems-and difficulties 
which had arisen in the Corinthian church. None of 
these books of the New Testament gives a com- 
prehensive and well-rounded presentation of the 
great message which the New Testament Church 
proclaimed. 


The Epistle to the Romans. When we come to 
the Epistle to the Romans, however, we find a different 
kind of book. It was not written to meet some 

132 


THE CHURCH’S TEACHING 


specific need. It did not deal with issues which had 
arisen in a church in which the writer was especially 
interested because he had been its founder or its 
teacher. The epistle was no doubt written from 


Corinth during Paul’s stay there, mentioned in 7 


Acts 20: 2, 3, “for, according to Rom. 15: 25, etc., at 
the time of writing the apostle was about to go to 
Jerusalem with the offering for the poor, made by the 
churches of Macedonia and Achaia. At Corinth he 
had directed collections to be made; it was the 
largest city of Achaia; Phoebe, who took the letter, 
was from Cenchreex, the seaport of Corinth, ch. 16: 
1, 2; Gaius, ch. 16: 23, his host, was probably a 
Corinthian, I Cor. 1: 14.” Paul had wanted to go 
to Rome, the imperial capital, there to preach the 
gospel, Rom. 15: 23, but up to this time he had not 
been able to plan this journey. Now, however, he 
hoped, after completing his errand to Jerusalem, to 
realize his expectation, ch. 15: 24, and he wished at 
this time to send a message to the church in Rome 
which would prepare the way for his coming. 

As we read this Epistle to the Romans we discover 
therefore that the letter is different from the other 
epistles which we have considered. It seems more 
general, more comprehensive, its parts more logically 
related. Aside from any special or critical issues in 
the Roman church the apostle was setting forth his 
gospel. He took advantage of the j journey of Phoebe, 
of Cenchres, who evidently was going to Rome on 
business, to carry this letter to his fellow believers in 
the Roman capital. His message does not include 
the story of Jesus which all believers had been taught 

133 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


at the very beginning of their instruction, but deals 
with those great gospel truths and principles which 
grew out of Jesus’ person and life and teaching and 
work. 


The Roman Church. The origin of the church 
in Rome is unknown. It may have been founded 
by converts who had been won on the day of Pente- 
cost, Acts 2: 10, or believers from Jerusalem or other 
places may have gone to Rome and, like the scattered 
disciples at the time of the martyrdom of Stephen, 
preached the word. Among its members when Paul 
wrote were Priscilla and Aquila. Rom. 16: 3. At 
the beginning the church in Rome may have been 
composed of Jewish believers, but its Jewish con- 
stituency was no longer characteristic. The church 
was now truly Gentile. Rom. 1: 18. 

The relation of Peter to the church in Rome does 
not concern us in this study, for if he was in Rome 
at all, for which there is traditional support, this was 
subsequent to the writing of this epistle. 


Paul’s Gospel. With this brief introduction, let 
us turn to the Epistle to the Romans and see what we 
can discover concerning Paul’s gospel as a statement 
of the message of the New Testament Church. In 
this limited study, it is impossible to go into details, 
or to attempt even a brief exegetical study. We 
can try to consider only the outstanding points which 
constitute Paul’s message. What are these out- 
standing points? To discover these the student 
should read the epistle for himself, and not depend 
upon what is set forth here. 

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Jesus Christ. In Paul’s day it was the custom in 
writing a letter to put the name of the writer at the 
very beginning. Compare all the epistles of the New 
Testament, noting that Hebrews is anonymous. Ob- 
serve that every other epistle begins with the writer’s 
name or identification. Paul, therefore, following 
the rules of letter-writing at the time, puts his name 
first. But immediately he follows it with the name 
of Jesus Christ, which has first place in his message. 
His message he calls “the gospel of God” and says that 
the gospel was ‘‘promised . . . in the holy scriptures.” 
The gospel is concerning God’s ‘Son,’ whom he 
identifies as the human Jesus whose life and teaching, 
as narrated in the Gospels, were proclaimed by the 
Church. But he is also the risen Jesus who by his 
resurrection was ‘‘declared to be the Son of God with 
power.” Jesus is the Source of grace and authority 
in the Church. Also he is associated in the closest 
possible way with God the Father. 

The message of the Church therefore is_primarily 
a message about Jesus, the Jesus whom we know in 
the Gospels, but whose nature and work are inter- 
preted more fully in the epistles of the New Testament. 


Paul’s Text or Thesis. After a statement of his 
personal feeling and his’purpose to come to Rome, 
and his obligation to preach the gospel in Rome, in 
Gi. 410,17, he, gives what to-day would be called 
his text, or moré technically might be called his thesis. 
His message ig “the gospel’ The outstanding points 
in this gospel are its “‘power,”’ its “salvation,” through 
a “righteousness” which is received by “faith,” and | 

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its universality, being efficient for both Jew and 
Gentile. We might expect these points to be de-- 
veloped in his presentation of the gospel message, 
and our expectation is not disappointed. 


Sin. The gospel had much to say about sin. This 
is not surprising. The word to Joseph concerning 
Mary was: ‘‘And she shall bring forth a son; and 
thou shalt call his name Jesus; for it is he that shall 
save his people from their sins.” Matt. 1:21. John 
the Baptist who came to prepare the way for Jesus 
proclaimed the message of repentance. The gospel 
of the Saviour was good news because of the fact of 
sin, for which the gospel offered a remedy. A glance 
at a concordance will soon show that the New Testa- 
ment, as well as the Old, has much to say about sin. 
Jesus himself said that he “came not to eall the 
righteous, but sinners.”’ His three great parables of 
the fifteenth chapter of Luke deal with sin, for they 
are stories of The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, and 
The Lost Son who said, “‘I have sinned.” 

The first point in Paul’s gospel, therefore, is man’s 
sin and God’s wrath “against all ungodliness and 
unrighteousness of men.” ~Rom. 1: 18. He then 
proceeds to “shut up” all men “under sin.” He 
describes the heathen who have rejected God. the 
Creator and turned to the worship of the creature and 
given themselves over to degrading immoral prac- 
‘tices. Ch. 1: 21-32. Then he proceeds to show that 
those who are ready to condemn the heathen share 
in their guilt. Both Jew and Gentile are guilty 
before God. The Jew is guilty because he has broken 

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the law; the Gentile, who does not have the law, is 
a sinner because he has disobeyed conscience. Ch. 
2: 1-16. But lest the Jew might think that he is 
not a sinner in the sight of God, because of his Jewish 
privileges, Paul shows how the Jews as a nation have 
transgressed the law and brought shame upon the 
name of God among the Gentiles. Rom. 2: 17-29. 
As a Jew himself Paul says:.“‘Are we better than they? 
No, in no wise: for we before laid to the charge both of 
Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin.” Ch. 
3: 9. Again he insists, “For there is no distinction; 
for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of 
Gon ot 22, 23. | 


._ Righteousness by Faith. Following his charge 
that all men are sinners, Paul takes up the next point 
in his thesis of ch. 1: 17,. and discusses ‘‘a righteous- 
ness of God... through faith in Jesus Christ unto all 
them that believe,” ch. 3: 21-30.. His teaching is 
that there is a righteousness which God provides for 
the sinner, a righteousness which the sinner cannot 
provide for himself through his own obedience to the 
law, but a righteousness which is secured from God 
through faith in Jesus. Sinners are justified, that is, 
declared righteous in the sight of God the Judge, 
because they are redeemed by Christ. Sinners are 
justified freely, that is, without payment on their 
part. It is of grace; that is, God gives it out of the 
goodness of his heart in spite of their unworthiness. 
He says, ‘‘We reckon therefore that a man is justified 
by faith apart from the works of the law.” This is 
the element in the gospel message which led to the 
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conversion of both Augustine, the Latin father, and 
Luther, the leader of the Reformation. 

Paul knew that this doctrine would not be welcomed 
by the Jews, but Paul declares that in the ancient 
Jewish Scriptures the great truth that men are 
justified by faith was taught. ‘Abraham believed 
God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.” 
Rom. 4: 3; Gen. 15: 6. That the justification of 
Abraham was not through the works of the law is 
evident because this was before there was a Mosaic 
law, and it was before Abraham had conformed to 
the ancient Hebrew requirement of circumcision. 
When he was declared righteous in God’s sight because 
of his faith, Abraham was as uncircumcised as the 
Gentiles. So, declares Paul, we are justified ‘‘who 
believe on him that raised Jesus our Lord from the 
dead, who was delivered up for our trespasses, and 
was raised for our justification.”” Ch. 4: 9-25. 

Justified by faith in Christ, we have peace with 
God, and hope. We have the assurance of salvation 
through faith in Christ who died for us. Paul gives 
an important phase to the cross here. ‘‘While we 
were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”” We are “‘justi- 
fied by his blood.” We are “reconciled to God 
through the death of his Son.” Ch. 5: 1-11. Paul 
carries his argument farther by comparing and 
contrasting the effect of Adam’s sin upon the human 
race and the results of Christ’s perfect obedience in 
the justification unto eternal life of all who believe in 
him. 

The doctrine of justification by faith is altogether 
in harmony with the teaching of Jesus. In the 

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parable of The Lost Son, he taught that the boy who 
had wasted his substance in riotous living, and was 
in want and rags and shame, was welcomed by his 
father, restored to sonship, and given a place at his 
father’s table where a great feast was spread. Jesus 
himself taught that his blood was ‘‘poured’ out for 
many unto remission of sins.” Matt. 26: 28. It is 
in harmony with the words of Peter on the day of 
Pentecost, Acts 2: 38, and with Paul’s reply to the 
jailer in Philippi when he inquired concerning the 
way of salvation: “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and 
thou shalt be saved,” Acts 16: 31. 


New Life in Christ. Well might those who did 
not understand Paul’s whole gospel raise objections 
to his doctrine of justification by faith. Justification 
by faith, according to Paul, is not an abstract, book 
transaction, unrelated to the life and character of the 
person who is justified by faith, for faith is an act 
which brings the believer into vital relation to Christ 
in whom he believes. Jesus himself had said, “Ye 
will not come to me, that ye may have life.” John 
5:40. Saving faith, Paul says, is not the mere belief 
in a transaction which is for the benefit of the sinner, 
but is an identification of oneself with Christ. Christ’s 
death on the cross was to enable us to die unto sin, 
and Christ’s resurrection was to enable us to live in 
newness of life. Rom. 6: 1-11. The person who 
is justified by faith must give himself to the service 
of God. He is no longer a servant of sin, but a 
servant of Christ. Ch. 6: 15 to 7:6. Salvation by 
faith includes not only the forgiveness of sin but new 

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power for victory over sin. ‘‘For the wages of sin is 
death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ 
Jesus our Lord.”’ Ch. 6: 28. 

In this Paul teaches what Jesus himself had taught, 
for even in his free forgiveness of sin Jesus insisted 
upon the duty of overcoming sin. After he had healed 
the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda he said to the 
man, “Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a 
worse thing befall thee.” John 5: 14. Again he 
said, ‘“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, 
shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that 
doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.” 
Matt. 7: 21. The gospel demands holiness of life. 

But man cannot save himself from his sins. This 
is the chief teaching of the famous seventh chapter of 
Romans. Paul pictures the man who is trying to 
overcome the power of sin through his own strength. 
He knows that he should not do wrong, but he does 
wrong. He knows that he ought to do right, but he 
fails to do right. He experiences the terrible struggle 
between right and wrong in his own nature. The 
pathetic condition of the sinner is described in the 
ery: ‘‘Wretched man that I am! who shall deliver 
me out of the body of this death?” ‘Then he gives 
the triumphant answer, “I thank God through Jesus 
Christ our Lord,” and in the eighth chapter he 
teaches that a new power comes into the life of the 
believer in Jesus. The Spirit of God works in the 
believer’s heart. Victory over sin is assured. 

Thus justification (or being declared righteous) by 
faith and sanctification (or becoming righteous in 
life and character) by the Spirit of God are tied 

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’ together as inseparable in the gospel proclaimed by 
the New Testament Church. 


The Gospel and the Jews. Three chapters of 
the Epistle to the Romans, chs. 9, 10, and 11, are 
given to a discussion of the great mystery of the Jews’ 
rejection of Christ and of their place in the plan of 
God in view of their being the covenant people of 
God, who will not break his promises. ‘These chapters 
cannot be discussed in this brief study. 


The Practicalness of the Gospel. In the New 
Testament, truth is always “according to godliness.” 
The teaching of Jesus must be put into practice in 
everyday living and in all relationships of life. This 
was an essential element in the message of the New 
Testament Church. The epistles usually have their 
“‘practical’”’ sections in which the application of the 
gospel to everyday life is considered. Even the 
content headings in the American Standard Bible, 
brief as they are, sufficiently suggest this: ‘Divers 
exhortations; against self-conceit; to mutual love; 
to obedience to rulers. Love is the fulfillment of the 
law. Mutual helpfulness enjoined.’’ 

The epistle closes with personal matters and salu- 
tations. 


Summary. . The Epistle to the Romans, written 
by Paul from Corinth, probably about A.p. 58, 
gives us a rather comprehensive presentation of the 
content of the gospel message apart from specific 
local issues and problems. From this epistle we 
learn that in preaching the gospel the New Testament 
Church proclaimed the fact of man’s sin and con- 

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sequently his need of salvation from sin; God’s 
gracious offer to forgive sin and to accept sinners on 
the ground of their faith in Jesus, crucified and risen, 
as Saviour and Lord; the actual salvation from sin’s 
power through the indwelling of the Spirit of God, and 
the necessity of putting the teachings and ideals of 
Jesus into practice in daily living. 


QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 


1. What was the time, place, and occasion of the writing of 
Paul’s Epistle to the Romans? In addition to this chapter, see 
a Bible dictionary and a commentary on Romans, especially 
Sanday’s “Romans” in “The International Critical Com- 
mentary.” 

2. Why. would the Epistle to the Romans probably be a 
good book in which to find a comprehensive and balanced state- 
ment of Paul’s gospel? 

3. What was Paul’s text or thesis for his epistle? 

4, What are the chief points in Paul’s gospel as stated in 
Romans? 

5. Compare these points with the teaching of the New 
Testament elsewhere. Include a comparison with the apostolic 
teaching outlined in Chapter IT. 

6. Make an outline of the Epistle to the Romans. After 
making your own outline, check up with the outline in a Bible 
dictionary or a good commentary. A complete and detailed 
outline will be found in Sanday’s ‘‘Romans.”’ 


THE Books or THE New TESTAMENT 


The Gospel :— Romans James 
According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
According to Mark II Corinthians II Peter 
According to Luke Galatians I John 
According to John Ephesians II John © 

The Acts Philippians IIT John 

Colossians Jude 


I Thessalonians Revelation 
II Thessalonians 

I Timothy 

II Timothy 

Titus 

Philemon 

Hebrews 


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CHAPTER XV 


THE CHURCH’S LEADING MISSIONARY BE- 
COMES ITS GREATEST DOCTRINAL 
WRITER 


Scripture Material to Be Read: Acts 21: 17 to 28: 31; 
Philemon, Colossians, Ephesians, and Philippians 


The Problem of the Chapter. What was the 
effect of the imprisonment of Paul upon the develop- 
ment of the New Testament? 


Paul the Missionary Becomes Paul the Pris- 
oner. -In Chapter XII Paul reached the city of 
Jerusalem. In Chapter XIV we noted that in the 
Epistle to the Romans he told of his desire and plan 
to go to Rome. The completion of his journey to 
Jerusalem did, indeed, lead Paul to Rome but in an 
unexpected, roundabout, and time-consuming way. 
When Paul arrived in Jerusalem bearing the gifts of 
the Gentile churches, Acts 21: 17, he was accom- 
panied by Luke (note the “‘we’’) and representatives 
of the Gentile churches. He was heartily welcomed 
by the brethren of Jerusalem who heard with great 
gratification of his gospel labors. At the same time 
leaders in the church in Jerusalem acquainted Paul 
with a problem. ‘There were thousands of Christians 
in Jerusalem who had come out of Judaism. These 
believers had been taught to observe the Mosaic law. 

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The Church had decided that Gentiles were not com- 
pelled to observe the customs of the Jews, but these 
Jews were not ready themselves to give up these 
ancient practices. The report had been broadcast 
that Paul had not only taught Gentile liberty from 
‘the Mosaic law, but had also opposed the practice of 
Jewish customs by the Jews themselves. ‘The elders 
of the church in Jerusalem thought that if Paul 
would openly show his personal approval of the 
observance of Old Testament customs by Jewish 
believers, this accusation would be proved false. 
This Paul was willing to do in the interest of his 
weaker Jewish brethren. Acts 21: 17-26. 

While he was taking part in the ceremony which he 
had undertaken in the Temple, Jews who recognized 
him as the apostle to the Gentiles gathered a mob 
and attacked Paul. The Roman guard arrived on 
the scene just in time to rescue the apostle from the 
crowd. Paul secured the permission of the Roman 
centurion to address the Jews who had attacked him 
and gave the second account of his conversion which 
is recorded in The Acts. When the mob became 
infuriated he was led into the castle, and an imprison- 
ment which was to last for at least five years began. 
Acts 21: 27-36. 


In Jerusalem and Cezsarea. Only by his 
Roman citizenship was Paul saved from _ being 
scourged. To find out the exact charges against 
Paul, the Roman military tribune led Paul before 
the sanhedrin, or Jewish council. Paul’s declaration 
that he was a Pharisee and believed in the resurrection 

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divided the council into two factions which became 
so violent that the Roman officer removed Paul from 
the council for his safety. 

Again Paul was in the Roman prison. That night 
in a vision he was given encouragement by the 
promise that he was to bear witness for Christ in 
Rome. A plot of the Jews to assassinate Paul led 
the Roman officer to send him under the protection of 
a heavy guard to Cesarea, the Roman capital of 
Palestine. It was to this city that Peter had gone 
to deal with Cornelius, the Roman centurion. Here 
Philip the evangelist preached and lived for many 
years. Here Paul had visited more than once. Now 
he entered the city as a prisoner. Acts 21: 37 to 23: 35. 

Paul’s accusers came from Jerusalem to make their 
charges against him, but Felix, the procurator of 
Judea, before whom they appeared, put off his 
decision. He allowed Paul to be visited by his 
friends, and himself, with his wife Drusilla, often 
heard Paul, even though the apostle boldly preached 
to them “righteousness, and self-control, and the 
judgment to come.” In the hope of receiving a 
bribe for Paul’s release, Felix held him in prison for 
two years. Acts, ch. 24. 

When Festus succeeded Felix, Paul’s enemies im- 
mediately renewed their charges against him. When 
Festus suggested handing the case over to the Jewish 
courts, Paul, certain that he could not receive justice 
at the hands of his own countrymen, stood upon his 
rights as a Roman citizen, and appealed to Cesar. 
Festus must therefore send Paul to Rome for trial 
in Ceesar’s court. In order to clear the record of the 

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case which he planned to send to Rome, Festus took 
advantage of the presence of Herod Agrippa, a 
neighboring Roman ruler who was expert in Jewish 
matters, to have Agrippa hear Paul. The apostle’s 
defense before King Agrippa is the third account in 
The Acts of his life and conversion. Agrippa’s 
opinion was altogether in Paul’s favor, and his report 
would no doubt have helped Paul’s defense, but the 
appeal of the apostle to Cesar made necessary his 
being sent to Rome for trial. Acts 24: 27 to 26: 32. 


Shipwrecked. The journey to Rome for trial 
was begun with a number of companions besides Luke, 
and other prisoners under the charge of Julius, a 
Roman centurion. They embarked on a coast vessel 
in which they reached Myra where they boarded 
another vessel. The difficulty of the voyage led 
the navigators to cast anchor in Fair Havens, on the 
island of Crete. In spite of the season and of Paul’s 
warning, the captain of the vessel ventured to try to 
reach Phoenix, but the ship was caught in a storm 
and driven to the island of Malta where it was 
completely wrecked, although all on board reached 
shore in safety. Acts, ch. 27. 


A Prisoner in Rome. After three months on 
the island, the voyage to Rome was resumed in a 
ship from Alexandria, which bore them to Puteoli, 
a port of Italy, from which the journey was made by 
land to Rome. Paul must have thought of the 
contrast between his expectation concerning his 
coming to Rome when he wrote his letter from 

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Corinth to the Roman church and his coming now 
as a prisoner. But the Christians of Rome to whom 
he had sent his letter were not uninterested in him. 
Two separate companies of Christians came to meet 
him on the way. When he saw these friends he 
“thanked God, and took courage.’”’ Acts 28: 11-15. 

While he was awaiting trial in Rome, Paul was 
allowed to live in his own hired house, constantly 
attended, however, by a Roman guard. Here again 
he showed his eagerness to persuade his own people 
to accept Jesus as their Messiah, for he sent for the 
Jewish leaders of the city and tried to explain the 
gospel to them. There was the usual division among 
the Jews, for some believed and some disbelieved. 
Acts 28: 17-28. 

At this point the story of The Acts ends with the 
statement, ‘‘He abode two whole years in his own 
hired dwelling, and received all that went in unto 
him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching 
the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all 
_boldness, none forbidding him.’’ The rest of Paul’s 
story we must conjecture from Paul’s epistles. 


For the Progress of the Gospel. For Paul the 
missionary to become Paul the prisoner seemed to be 
a great disaster to the cause of Christ. Paul himself, 
however, wrote to the Philippians during this im- 
prisonment, ‘“The things which happened unto me 
have fallen out rather unto the progress of the gospel.”’ 
In this chapter we are to observe how Paul’s imprison- 
ment led to the writing of some of the books of the 
New ‘Testament which are great storehouses of 

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Christian truth. Paul still preached, still directed 
others in their work in the Church, but especially did 
he put into writing for preservation through the 
centuries the Christian messages of three great 
epistles, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. 


Paul’s Letter to Philemon. In the letters of 
Paul which we have considered we have discovered 
many sidelights upon his experience. So now we 
shall find that a number of his letters help us to 
understand what he was doing in Rome during the 
two-year period to which Luke-refers at the close of 
The Acts. One of these letters is the short personal 
Epistle to Philemon. We must think of Paul as 
a prisoner, v. 1, in his hired dwelling, advising Church 
leaders who came to consult him and who carried on 
their work under his direction. Travelers from 
distant churches would be sure to visit him. With 
him were Timothy, v. 1, Epaphras, Mark, Aris- 
tarchus, Demas, and Luke, v. 23. Here no doubt 
he preached to congregations which gathered to 
listen to the gospel as it was preached by this apostle 
in bonds. Among those who came under the in- 
fluence of Paul was a man by the name of Onesimus. 
He had run away from his master, Philemon, who was 
a member of the church in Colossea. Compare 
Philemon 2 and Col. 4: 9, 17. He had probably not 
only run away but also stolen from his master. This 
runaway thief was won to faith in Christ through the 
teaching of Paul and became not only an earnest 
Christian but also an efficient helper of the apostle. 
Paul would have liked to keep Onesimus as a 

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helper, but he felt that it was the duty of this con- 
verted slave to “make good” with his master, so he 
sent him back to Philemon. As the converted slave 
needed to prove his loyalty to Christ by his loyalty 
to his master, so Philemon, who was a leader in the 
Christian church, v. 2, needed to prove his.loyalty to 
Christ by showing his Christian love for his servant. 
Tactfully Paul pleaded for the reception of this 
former and unprofitable slave as a Christian brother 
and asked Philemon to charge to him any debt 
which Philemon held against Onesimus. 


The Epistle to the Colossians. Another letter 
was written at this same time. With Onesimus Paul 
planned to send Tychicus, Col. 4: 7, 9, to the church 
in Colosse of which Philemon was ‘a prominent 
member. Paul had learned a good deal concerning 
the church in Colosse through Epaphras his ‘‘fellow- 
servant,’ who probably had been the minister of 
the church in Colosse, ch. 4: 12,13. The faith of the 
Colossian Christians was in danger of being perverted 
by false teachers. Conybeare and Howson suggest 
that the most probable view seems to be that some 
Alexandrian Jew had appeared at Colosse. He 
professed a belief in Christianity and was imbued 
with the Greek “‘philosophy”’ of the school of Philo. 
With this he combined a rabbinical theosophy and 
angelology, and an extravagant asceticism which also 
afterward distinguished several sects of the Gnostics. 
Paul undertook in this epistle to correct these errors 
by setting forth the doctrines and ethics of Christi- 
anity. He speaks of true knowledge and wisdom 

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THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


and understanding over against so-called knowledge, 
and teaches the preéminence of Christ and the 
blessings which are to be found in him. He also 
warns against ceremonial and ascetic rules of life 
which are not a real expression of a truly religious 
life and do not lead to Christian living. He summons 
his readers to a life which conforms to the example 
and teaching of Jesus, and gives some very practical 
exhortations concerning the application of Christian 
principles to the everyday experiences and relation- 
ships of life. 


The Epistle to the Ephesians. | Another epistle 
was written from Rome at the same time. This is the 
Epistle to the Ephesians. Some have thought that 
the letter was written while Paul was a prisoner in 
Cesarea, but this does not fit the facts so well. That 
the letter was written at the same time as Colossians 
is evident for a number of reasons. Paul was a 
prisoner. Eph. 3: 1; 4: 1. This letter, like the 
Epistle to the Colossians, was carried by Tychicus 
who accompanied Philemon to Colosse and de- 
livered the Colossian letter. Ch. 6: 21, 22. This 
letter does not mention Timothy or other com- 
panions referred to in the other two letters just 
considered, but the epistle is remarkably parallel to 
the letter to the Colossians. It develops more fully 
most of the points made in the Epistle to the Colos- 
slans, but does not deal with the points concerning 
special errors which needed to be corrected in Co- 
losse. ‘‘There is scarcely a single topic in the 
Ephesian Epistle which is not to be found in the 

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THE CHURCH’S GREATEST DOCTRINAL WRITER 


Epistle to the Colossians, but, on the other hand, 
there is an important section of Colossians, ch. 2: 
8-23, which has no parallel in Ephesians. Out of 
one hundred and fifty-five verses contained in 
Ephesians, seventy-eight verses contain expressions 
identical with those in the Epistle to the Colossians. 
This is just what we might expect to find in the work 
of a man whose mind was thoroughly imbued with 
the ideas and expressions of the Epistle to the Co- 
lossians when he wrote the other epistle.’”’ (Cony- 
beare and Howson.) : 

The question has been raised as to whether this 
epistle was written ‘‘to the Ephesians.’’ Paul spent 
three years in Ephesus, but in this epistle there is 
not a single greeting to any friend or acquaintance in 
the church to which it is written. In the oldest 
manuscripts the name ‘‘Ephesus’”’ does not occur, and 
in some manuscripts other names, such as ‘‘Laodicea,” 
appear. It is thought that this was a circular letter, 
~sent to a number of churches in Asia, and that 
duplicates were provided, each of which Paul signed, 
but the name of the church was left blank to be filled 
in. Because Ephesus was the eapital of the territory 
the name of Ephesus was readily associated with the 
letter. 7 

“The Epistle to the Romans, addressed from the 
Kast to the West, was Paul’s complete statement of 
the way of salvation. The Epistle to the Ephesians, 
addressed from the West to the East, was his com- 
plete statement of the whole purpose of God in human 
history. It may be said to mark the climax of his 
theological instruction.”” (Purves.) 

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THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


The Epistle to the Philippians. A fourth epistle 
was written by Paul as a prisoner in Rome and is 
evidently to be placed during this same period, but 
near its close, according to some. This is the Epistle 
to the Philippians. Lightfoot in his “Philippians” 
argues strongly for the earlier date. Paul was in 
bonds, ch. 1: 1, 14, 17; he was under the Pretorian 
Guard, ch. 1: 13, and had influenced Cesar’s house- 
hold, ch. 4: 22. With him were Timothy, ch. 1: 1; 
2: 19, and Epaphroditus, ch. 2: 25; 4: 18. Paul’s 
trial seems to be at hand, ch. 1: 19-26. 

The Philippian Christians had always been so- 
licitous for Paul. Again and again they had sent 
him help in time of need. Now they had learned of 
his imprisonment, and they had sent Epaphroditus, 
probably their minister, to Rome with their gifts for 
his comfort. Epaphroditus had fallen sick and had 
almost died, but now he had recovered and was 
eager to return to the church in Philippi and relieve 
their minds concerning him. Paul therefore wrote 
this epistle to thank the Philippians for their love 
and thoughtful ministry to him. The epistle is 
peculiarly free from any rebuke, and overflows with 
appreciation of their gift and of all that it signified. 

In these epistles written from Rome are the loftiest 
teachings of the New Testament, dealing with the 
Church as the body of Christ and with the deepest 
experiences of the Christian with Christ. 


Summary. Almost immediately after his arrival 
in Jerusalem, Paul the missionary became Paul the 
prisoner. From Jerusalem he was taken to Cesarea, 

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THE CHURCH’S GREATEST DOCTRINAL WRITER 


where he was confined for two years. From Cesarea 
he was sent to Rome for trial in the court of Cesar. 
His journey was delayed by a shipwreck, but he 
reached the imperial city, where he was kept under 
guard in his own hired house for two years awaiting 
trial. While a prisoner Paul was permitted to preach 
in his house, and to direct leaders of the Church who 
came to him. His ministry was now extended 
through epistles. Four epistles which were written 
during this imprisonment have been preserved: the 
Epistles to Philemon, to the Colossians, to the Ephes- 
ians, and to the Philippians. 


QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 


1. ‘Trace on a map the movements of Paul from his arrest in 
Jerusalem to his arrival in Rome, indicating the events of in- 
terest at each place. Secure the facts from the record in The 
Acts. . 


2. Describe as fully as possible Paul’s condition during his 
Roman imprisonment. In addition to The Acts see the article 
on “Paul” in a good Bible dictionary; consult a life of Paul or a 
Sie eh on one or all of his epistles written during this 
period. 


3. Prepare to tell the story of the Epistle to Philemon. 


4. Tell the occasion for the writing of the Epistle to the 
Colossians and make an outline of its contents. 


5. Compare the Epistle to the Colossians and the Epistle to 
the Ephesians. See accounts of both epistles in a Bible dic- 
tionary, a commentary on the epistles, or a life of Paul. See 
especially the note on the contents of Colossians and Ephesians 
in Conybeare and Howson. 


6. Describe the occasion of the writing of the Epistle to the 
Philippians and give a description of the epistle. 


153 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


Tuer Books or THE New TESTAMENT 


The Gospel:— Romans James 
According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
According to Mark II Corinthians II Peter 
According to Luke Galatians I John 
According to John ~ Ephesians IT John 

The Acts Philippians III John 

Colossians Jude 


I Thessalonians’ Revelation 
II Thessalonians 

I Timothy 

II Timothy 

Titus 

Philemon 

Hebrews 


154 


CHAPTER XVI 
FORMING AN INDIGENOUS CHURCH 


Scripture Material to Be Read: I Timothy, Titus, 
and II Timothy 


The Problems of the Chapter. What can we 
learn from the later epistles of Paul concerning his 
career after the close of The Acts, and what light is 
thrown by these epistles upon his work of establishing 
a self-sustaining and self-propagating Church? 


An Indigenous Church. An indigenous plant is 
one which is native to the place where it grows. The 
task of the missionary enterprise has always been to 
develop a church which will be native to the place 
where it is to live and work and expand. The great 
task of the apostles was to establish churches every- 
where which would be able to teach Christian truth 
in their own communities and reach out to neighboring 
communities. In this chapter we are to see how Paul 
in his last years had upon his heart the great work of 
organizing the churches so that they would be self- 
sustaining and self-perpetuating. 


Paul’s Release and Second Imprisonment. 
When as a prisoner in Rome Paul wrote to his friend 
Philemon, he expected soon to be released. Philemon 
22. When he wrote his letter to the Philippians his 
trial was evidently approaching, but he expressed 

; 155 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


the conviction that he was to be given his liberty. 
Phil. 1: 25. Luke’s narrative in The Acts, however, 
leaves Paul still a prisoner in his hired dwelling for 
a period of two years. Acts 28: 30, 31. In his 
Second Epistle to Timothy Paul again speaks of 
being in chains, II Tim. 1: 16, and indicates that he 
is facing what he believes: to be certain death, ch. 
4:6. We seem, therefore, to have a different prison 
situation in Philemon and Philippians and in II 
Timothy. But we have also the fact that there are 
references to travels and incidents in the two Epistles 
to Timothy and in the Epistle to Titus which cannot 
be fitted into the story of Paul which is told in The 
Acts. Scholars have come to the conclusion, there- 
fore, that Paul was acquitted and released, that 
he spent about five years in further ministry in the 
Church, and that then he was rearrested, condemned 
to death, and beheaded. ‘The story of this part of 
Paul’s career, constructed from the references in the 
Epistles to. Timothy and Titus, is about as follows: 


The Story up to Paul’s First Epistle to Tim- 
othy. It. is thought that upon his release Paul 
carried out his expressed intention to visit Macedonia 
and Asia. Phil. 2: 24; Philemon 22. He probably 
went through Macedonia, stopping at Philippi, and 
to Asia where he no doubt visited Ephesus, Colossus, 
Laodicea, and other places readily accessible from 
Ephesus. In his letter to the church in Rome he 
had expressed his purpose to go to Spain, Rom. 15: 
24, 28, and there is uncontroverted testimony that 
he went to Spain (Clement of Rome, Muratori’s 

156 


FORMING AN INDIGENOUS CHURCH 


Canon, and Chrysostom), so it is thought that now 
he made this journey, probably remaining in Spain 
about two years, preaching, teaching, and establishing 
churches. Again he returned to Ephesus. From 
Ephesus as a base he made journeys to Macedonia 
and Crete. Immediately upon his return to Ephesus 
from Crete, he went to Macedonia, leaving the work 
in Ephesus in charge of Timothy. From Mace- 
donia he wrote to this young minister of Christ a 
letter which would guide him in his difficult task of 
correcting the doctrinal errors that had sprung up 
in the Ephesian church and strengthen him for his 
task of directing the work of the church. 


The First Epistle to Timothy. As we read this 
epistle we see how Paul is endeavoring through Tim- 
othy to establish the church in Ephesus upon a sound 
foundation of faith and practice, and we can see for 
ourselves how the letter confirms the story briefly 
outlined above. 

Paul had left Timothy at Ephesus when he de- 
parted to go into Macedonia, ch. 1: 3, and the apostle 
had expected to return to Ephesus soon, but now 
thought that he might be delayed, ch. 3: 14, 15, and 
so he wrote to strengthen the hands of Timothy in 
his difficult task of dealing with the situation in the 
church in Ephesus. 

In his effort to establish a strong, self-sustaining, 
and self-perpetuating church in Ephesus, Paul in 
this epistle is concerned about three things. First, 
he is concerned about doctrine, for the church’s life 
depended upon its loyalty to the truth of the gospel. 

157 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


He is therefore anxious because men have been 
teaching ‘‘a different doctrine.” Ch.1:38. This false 
teaching seems to have been a mixture of Greek 
philosophy, Persian theosophy, and Jewish tra- 
ditions, which only led to strife and confusion. ‘The 
simple gospel is the true doctrine of the Church. Ch. 
1:11. One perversion of the gospel in Ephesus was 
the substitution of asceticism for true holy living. 
Ch. 4: 1-5. Because sound doctrine is so essential 
to the life of the Church, Paul insists upon the im- 
portance of pure motives and consistent living and 
real courage and unselfishness on the part of teachers. 
Ch. 4: 6-16; 6: 3-16, 20, 21. 

Paul is concerned also about the practices of the 
church. He indicates the necessity of the proper 
conduct of the services of the church. He calls the 
church to prayer, and especially urges prayer in 
behalf of rulers. Ch. 2:1-4. But he does more than 
exhort to prayer and to prayer for rulers; he urges 
that the attitude and manner in prayer in the church 
be proper. The dress of the women is to be such as 
becomes the house of God, and the women are not to 
pray in public or to be teachers in the church. I Tim. 
2:8-12. Some interpret Paul as meaning that women 
should not hold the office of minister in the church, 
while others think that Paul was dealing with a 
special situation in the church in Ephesus which 
needed to be corrected. 

Because the teaching and the practices of the 
church need to be controlled and directed, Paul is 
concerned also about government and _ discipline. 
This letter was written to guide Timothy in his 

158 


FORMING AN INDIGENOUS CHURCH 


oversight of the church in Ephesus. Timothy’s 
work, however, was temporary. Paul therefore is 
concerned about the ordination of bishops or elders 
who would be fitted for their office, ch. 3: 1-7, and 
deacons, both men and women, ch. 3: 8-13. Elders 
who are in office, as well as the members of the 
church, must be subject to discipline, so Paul gives 
direction concerning how discipline should be ex- 
ercised in the church. Ch. 5: 1-25. 


The Story up to Paul’s Epistle to Titus. Paul 
probably came back from Macedonia sooner than he 
had expected when he wrote to Timothy, I Tim. 3: 
14, 15. Then he conducted a missionary campaign 
in Crete, with Titus as his fellow worker. When 
Paul returned to Ephesus, he left Titus in the island 
to complete the work of organizing the Cretan 
churches so that they might be self-directing, self- 
sustaining, and self-propagating. As he was about 
to set out from Ephesus for Nicopolis, he wrote to 
Titus in Crete. Probably Nicopolis in Epirus is 
meant, a city four miles from Actium. 

Read the Epistle to Titus first for its references to 
time, place, and historical background. Then read 
it to discover, as far as you can, the chief matters 
about which Paul was concerned as he planned for 
the welfare of the churches in Crete. 


The Epistle to Titus. At the close of the 
Epistle to Titus Paul indicates that he was either at 
or about to go to Nicopolis, where he expected to 
spend the winter. With him were Artemas, who is 

159 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


nowhere else mentioned in the New Testament, and 
Tychicus, who had been the bearer of Paul’s Epistles 
to the Ephesians and to the Colossians. Paul 
planned to send one of these helpers to Crete, and 
upon his arrival Titus was to come to Nicopolis 
to join Paul. Ch. 3: 12. Zenas and Apollos were 
either on their way to Crete or were on the island, 
and Titus was expected to aid them on their journey. 
Ch. 3: 13. 

Paul is here concerned about much the same 
things in regard to the churches in Crete as he had 
been in regard to the church in Ephesus, except that 
he deals with them differently in view of local con- 
ditions. In writing to Titus, Paul shows that he is 
concerned about faith, knowledge, and godliness. 
Ch. 1:1. He insists that the teaching of the Church 
must be kept sound and true. Ch. 1: 10-16. But 
soundness in the faith is not merely an acceptance of 
the truth of the gospel; soundness in faith is that 
condition of moral and spiritual health which includes 
right living. Truth is ‘‘according to godliness.” So 
he writes urgently concerning consistent daily living 
on the part of members of the church. Obedience 
to God and obedience to state go together. Justi- 
fication by faith in Christ must be associated with 
good works. Conduct must “adorn the doctrine” 
of Christ. Ch. 2: 1-14; 3: 1-9. To the end of 
maintaining Christian conduct on the part of mem- 
bers of the Church, Paul insists upon discipline. 
Titus must be fearless in correcting error in faith 
and conduct. Recalcitrant members of the church 
must be removed. Ch. 2: 15; 3: 10, 11. Also the 

160 


FORMING AN INDIGENOUS CHURCH 


churches must be organized to control their own 
teaching and direct their own discipline when the 
temporary oversight of the apostle or his representa- 
tive is withdrawn. To achieve this end bishops, 
or elders, equipped by disposition, character, knowl- - 
edge, and faith, are to be put in charge of the teaching, 
worship, work, and discipline of the churches. Ch. 
Fo-9. 


The Story up to Paul’s Second Epistle to 
Timothy. When Paul departed from Ephesus he 
passed through Miletus, where he left his companion 
Trophimus sick. II Tim. 4: 20. Passing through 
Troas, II Tim. 4: 13, he went on to Corinth where he 
left Erastus, and traveled on to Nicopolis, which 
would be a good center from which to spread the 
gospel in Illyricum. Here probably he was arrested 
and sent to Rome as a prisoner. 

Paul evidently found this imprisonment very 
different from his former experience, for he is now 
treated “‘as a malefactor,” or criminal. II Tim. 2: 9. 
Great courage would be required on the part of any- 
one who visited him, in view of the attitude toward 
Christianity now in Rome. His friends in Asia, 
with the exception of Onesiphorus, had therefore 
deserted him. II Tim. 1: 15-18. Even Demas, who 
had been with him in his first imprisonment, Col. 4: 
14, had now forsaken him, II Tim. 4: 10. Other 
faithful workers were on missions at Paul’s direction 
and only Luke, the faithful physician, was with Paul. 
Probably some of the Roman Christians kept in 
touch with him. II Tim. 4: 21. In prison Paul 

161 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


felt the need of his cloak, and wished also for the 
books and papers which he had left at Troas, II 
Tim. 4: 18. He asked Timothy to bring these 
articles to Rome as quickly as possible, and also to 
bring Mark with him. From his prison in Rome, 
therefore, he sent, probably to Ephesus, the letter 
which we know as Paul’s Second Epistle to Timothy. 
Evidently Paul had had one hearing, at which he © 
came out triumphant, ch. 4: 16, 17, but now he 
believed that he was facing condemnation and ex- 
ecution, ch. 4: 6. : 

The Second Epistle to Timothy. In this 
epistle, as in the other two epistles considered in 
this chapter, Paul, apart from his personal desire 
for the companionship of Timothy, is concerned 
about the Church of Christ. He has been hoping 
and praying and working for a Church which will 
be self-sustaining and self-propagating. Again in 
this epistle we see him emphasizing the things which 
are essential to the life of the Church. 

Paul indicates that the hope of the Church lies in 
its leadership. He therefore appeals to Timothy, as 
a leader in the Church, to be loyal to the truth, to be 
true to Christ in his personal life, and to be faithful 
and earnest in his work. Notice especially, ch. 1: 
5-14; 2: 3-13; 4: 5. Paul is also concerned about 
doctrine in the Church. The future of the Church 
depends upon each generation’s passing the gospel — 
on to the next generation, so he writes, ‘‘And the 
things which thou hast heard from me among many 
witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, 

162 


FORMING AN INDIGENOUS CHURCH 


who shall be able to teach others also.”? Ch. 2: 2. 
He is concerned, also, about disputes and arguments 
which are destructive rather than constructive, ch. 
2: 14, 23, and about departures from the true gospel 
of Christ, ch. 4: 1-5. Paul is likewise concerned 
about the tendency in the Church to turn aside from 
the ethical teaching of Jesus. Doctrine, he insists, 
is according to godliness. Sound doctrine and 
sound living are inseparable. Ch. 3. Paul also 
lays emphasis upon the importance of discipline. 
Timothy must not be afraid to withstand false 
teachers and corrupters of morals in the Church and 
to teach the truth and call to repentance. Ch. 2: 14, 
24-26; 3: 16; 4: 1, 2. 


Paul’s Martyrdom. The New Testament does 
not tell the story of Paul’s death. We do not know 
whether Timothy reached Rome in time to comfort 
his father in the faith. The testimony of tradition 
leaves no doubt that Paul was condemned to death 
because he was a Christian, and was beheaded, 
probably a.p. 67. We may take as his last words 
the words which he wrote to Timothy: ‘For I am 
already being offered, and the time of my departure 
iscome. I have fought the good fight, I have finished 
the course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is 
laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the 
Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day; 
and not to me only, but also to all them that have 
loved his appearing.” 


Summary. At his trial in Rome, Paul was 
probably acquitted and took up once more his 
163 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


apostolic labors. He preached and taught and 
labored in Asia Minor, in Macedonia, and in Greece, 
and even in Spain, but while engaged in the work, 
probably at Nicopolis, he was arrested, and taken to 
Rome. During the period of his travels and im- 
prisonment he wrote the three pastoral epistles, 
I Timothy, Titus, and II Timothy, to help these 
assistants in the work of building up self-sustaining, 
self-perpetuating, and _ self-propagating churches. 
Soon after he wrote II Timothy he was executed 
because of his faith in Jesus as his Saviour and Lord. 


QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 


1. What reason can you give for concluding that Paul was 
acquitted in Rome, given his liberty, and later arrested again, 
condemned, and executed? In addition to this chapter, see the 
article on “Paul” in a Bible dictionary, lives of Paul, and in- 
troductions to commentaries on his Pastoral Epistles. 


2. Trace on a map the journeys of Paul as outlined in this 
chapter. 


3. What would be necessary in a church to make it self- 
sustaining, self-perpetuating, and capable of extension into wider 
fields? 


4. Under what circumstances was Paul’s First Epistle to 
Timothy written? 


5. With what three essentials for an indigenous church did 
Paul deal in I Timothy? 


6. What led to the writing of The Epistle of Paul to Titus? 


7. Name three essentials for an indigenous church with which 
Paul deals in the Epistle to Titus. 


8. What can you learn from II Timothy about Paul at the 
time he wrote this epistle? 


9. What does Paul indicate in II Timothy concerning leader- 
ship in the Christian Church? 


164 


FORMING AN INDIGENOUS CHURCH 


THE Books or THE New TESTAMENT 


The Gospel :— 
According to Matthew 
According to Mark 
According to Luke 
According to John 

The Acts 


Romans 

I Corinthians 
II Corinthians 
Galatians 
Ephesians 
Philippians 
Colossians 

I Thessalonians 
II Thessalonians 
I Timothy . 
II Timothy 
Titus 

Philemon 
Hebrews 


165 


James 

I Peter 

II Peter 

I John 

II John 
III John 
Jude 
Revelation 


CHAPTER XVII 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH AND THE 
OLD TESTAMENT 


Scripture Material to Be Read: The Epistle to the 
Hebrews 


The Problems of the Chapter. The Christian 
Church developed out of Judaism, and yet was re- 
jected by Judaism. See Chapter V. Repeated 
efforts were made to carry Judaism over into the 
Christian Church. See Chapter IX. Although 
Christianity had its origin in Judaism, Judaism and 
Christianity became separate and antagonistic. What, 
then, ought to be the attitude of the Christian Church 
toward the Old Testament, which was the Scriptures 
of Judaism, and toward the Old Testament institu- 
tions which were the institutions of Judaism? What 
does the New Testament itself indicate concerning 
the attitude of the New Testament Church toward 
the Old Testament? 


A Common Heritage. Judaism and Christi- 
anity at the beginning had a common heritage. The 
Old Testament Scriptures were accepted by Jesus 
and by the apostles as the Word of God. And yet 
we discover that the Christian Church approached 
the Gentiles in a way which was different from its 
approach to the Jews. In Lystra and in Athens 
Paul did not appeal to the Old Testament Scriptures. 

166 


THE CHURCH AND THE OLD TESTAMENT 


Did the Christian Church use the Old Testament 
Scriptures only in dealing with the Jews, and set it 
aside in dealing with the Gentiles? Or did the 
Christian Church recognize the Old Testament as 
the sacred Scriptures of Christianity as well as of 
Judaism? Is the Old Testament a common heritage 
of Christianity and Judaism, or did Christianity 
break entirely away from the Old Testament Scrip- 
tures? 


New Testament Quotations from the Old 
Testament. The Christian Church did not begin 
on an absolutely new foundation. It built upon the 
foundation already laid in the Old Testament. The 
history of the Jews was a preparation for the history 
of the Church. There was a true revelation of God 
in the Old Testament. Jesus himself said, ‘For 
verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass 
away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away 
from the law, till all things be accomplished.” Matt. 
5: 18. When he said this he was discussing the 
Law and the Prophets, or the sacred Scriptures of 
the Old Testament. The Scriptures of the Jews 
permeate the New Testament of the Christian Church. 
This will be seen very quickly if we examine a New 
Testament with marginal references and observe 
how many references there are to the Old Testament. 
Much in the New Testament would be hard to under- 
stand without the Old Testament. In Chapter X 
the statement was made that in I and II Thessa- 
lonians there is not a single formal quotation from the 
Old Testament Scriptures, which is evidence that the 

167 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


epistles were addressed to a*Gentile church, and yet in 
Westcott and Hort’s Greek New Testament there 
are seven words, phrases, or clauses in I Thessa- 
lonians, and nine in JI Thessalonians which are 
traced to the Old Testament Scriptures. In addition 
to clear and complete quotations from the Old Testa- 
ment in the New Testament, the thoughts, ideas, 
words, and phrases of the Old Testament recur in the 
New Testament like motifs in a musical composition. 
Westcott and ‘Hort, with the codperation of Dr. 
Moulton, noted in their Greek New Testament one 
thousand and sixty-seven words, phrases, clauses, 
or sentences which are quotations from the Old 
Testament, and many of these come from more than 
one Old Testament passage. In only four books are 
there no quotations from the Old Testament: Phi- 
lemon and the three Epistles of John. The Old 
Testament quotations in the various New Testament 
books are as follows: Matt., 101; Mark, 56; Luke, 
86; John, 21; Acts, 108; Rom. 74; I Cor., 29; II Cor., 
205) Gali; 13;-Bphiic21;: Phil:, 63:Coli,;4708 ‘piesa 
II Thess., 9; Heb., 90; I Tim., 2; II Tim., 4; Titus, 3; 
James, 18; I Peter, 31; II Peter, 5; Jude, 5; Rev., 354. 
Evidently the New Testament has drawn much from 
the Old, and the special Scriptures of the Christian 
Church are not to be thought of as independent of 
and apart from the Jewish Scriptures of the Old 
Testament. 


The Old Testament Fulfilled in the New. 
Jesus said to the Jews concerning their Scriptures: 
‘“‘Ye search the scriptures, because ye think that in 

168 


THE CHURCH AND THE OLD TESTAMENT 


them ye have eternal life; and these are they which 
bear witness of me; and ye will not come to me, that 
ye may have life.” John 5: 39, 40. So he said in 
Luke 4: 21, ‘To-day hath this scripture been fulfilled 
in your ears.” The Gospels again and again have 
words like these: ‘‘Now all this is come to pass, that 
it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord 
through the prophet.” Luke 24: 27 suggests the 
relation of the New Testament to the Old Testament: 
“And beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, 
he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things 
concerning himself.” 


Old Testament Ideas in the New Testament. 
Christ, teaching the Jews, used the words and ideas 
which the Jews understood. Christianity, beginning 
its work among the Jews, naturally used Jewish forms 
of thought to convey Christian ideas. This would 
be necessary even if the Old Testament had not been 
a special preparation for the New Testament, and if 
Judaism had not been a special preparation for 
Christianity. But inasmuch as the Jews were the 
people of God, whose whole history was a preparation 
for the coming of Christ, we may well expect to find 
that the ideas of the New Testament are expressed 
in the forms and figures of Jewish religious thinking 
and experience. So when John the Baptist, pointing 
the disciples to Jesus, said, “Behold, the Lamb of 
God, that taketh away the sin of the world!” he was 
expressing in terms of the Jewish sacrifice the great 
truth proclaimed in the gospel, that Jesus is the 
Saviour from sin. 

169 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


The Covenant. The people of Israel were the 
covenant people of God. The prominent place which 
the idea of the covenant between God and his chosen 
people has in the Old Testament will be evident to 
anyone who looks up the word ‘‘covenant”’ in a con- 
cordance of the Bible. The Jews looked upon them- 
selves as the covenant people of God and expected 
the special promises of God to be fulfilled for them. 
They were “the children of Abraham.” The idea 
is carried over into the New Testament and into the 
Christian Church, but the covenant is the covenant 
between God and the true Israel, the Israel of faith, 
not Israel by physical descent. So John the Baptist 
said, ‘Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of re- 
pentance: and’ think not to say within yourselves, 
We have Abraham to our Father: for I say unto you, 
that God is able of these stones to raise up children 
unto Abraham.” Matt. 3: 8, 9. So Paul wrote, 
“For they are not all Israel, that are of Israel,” 
Rom. 9: 6, and, to the Galatians: ‘For neither is 
circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a 
new creature. And as many as shall walk by this 
rule, peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon’ ‘the 
Israel of God,” sete Gael DeLG: 


Transition. We find therefore in the New Testa- 
ment that there is a transition’ from Judaism to 
Christianity, from the Old Testament to the New 
Testament. We find this transition in government 
and in law. The Mosaic law consisted in part of laws 
of civil government. The Jewish national govern- 
ment was a theocracy. God was Israel’s King. But 

170 


THE CHURCH AND THE OLD TESTAMENT 


in relation to government two changes were taking 
place. The Christian Church was spreading through- 
out the Roman Empire ruled by a heathen emperor 
and the Jewish state was passing away. With the 
fall of Jerusalem in A. D. 70, the Jewish nation would 
cease to exist as a nation. We find also a second 
transition. The Old Testament had its tabernacle 
and then its Temple with their sacrifices and rites, 
and the feasts which must be observed in Jerusalem. 
But soon the Temple would be destroyed and these 
rites and feasts which were bound to the Temple 
and Jerusalem must cease. Jesus foretold the 
destruction of the Temple. Mark 13:.1, :2. and 
parallel passages. ‘These rites.and ceremonies, there- 
fore, must pass away. But in the Old Testament also 
are incorporated great moral and spiritual teachings 
which are permanent. These would still’ be, binding 
upon the hearts and lives of men. 7 : 


An Epistle to the Jewish Christians. Judaism 
had driven Christianity from its fold.. The Judaizers, 
largely because of the clear teaching and unwavering 
loyalty of Paul, failed to carry over the Jewish prac- 
tices into the Christian Church. But there were 
Jewish converts to Christianity who were not quite 
happy over the loss of so much that they had learned 
to value in the Jewish religion. “They were tempted 
to turn back from the simple and spiritual faith and 
practice of the Christian Church to the more elaborate 
ceremonies of Judaism. ‘These Jewish believers: in 
Jesus needed to see that all that was foreshadowed in 
the Old Testament ritual was fulfilled and surpassed 

171 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


in the life and work and person of Jesus. To show 
that the believer in Jesus has all and more than the 
truest Israelite of the Old Testament dispensation is 
the purpose of the great Epistle to the Hebrews. 


The Author. The Epistle to the Hebrews, sup- 
posed to have been written just before the fall of 
Jerusalem, is anonymous. The oldest manuscripts do 
not bear the name of an author in the title, and the 
epistle itself, contrary to the practice of Paul, does 
not give the name of the author. Its authorship has 
always been disputed. The early Eastern Church 
ascribed it to Paul; the early Western Church denied 
that he was its author. Added to its difference in 
style as compared with the epistles which bear the 
name of Paul, is the implication in ch. 2: 3, that the 
writer, like his hearers, had heard the gospel second- 
hand, while Paul was always careful to assert that he 
had received the gospel direct from Christ himself. 
The epistle was early ascribed to Barnabas. Some 
thought that it was written or translated from Hebrew 
by Luke. Luther and others have urged that it was 
written by Apollos. Two points are generally agreed 
upon, however: the author is not certainly known, 
but the epistle certainly belongs among the books of 
the New Testament. 


Where and to Whom Written. We do not even 
know where the epistle was written or to what locality 
it was addressed. Some have argued that it was 
written to Jewish Christians in Jerusalem; others 
believe that it was sent to Jewish Christians in Pales- 

172 


THE CHURCH AND THE OLD TESTAMENT 


tine; others that it was intended for Jewish Christians 
in Alexandria; and still others that it was sent to 
Jewish Christians in Rome. We do not know. But 
the fact is clear that the epistle was written-.to show 
Jewish Christians that Christianity fulfills all that 
was typified in the Old Testament religion; that 
Christ is the reality of which the Old Testament rites _ 
and ceremonies were but the shadows. 


The Message of the Epistle. Throughout The 
Epistle to the Hebrews we find an exhortation to 
loyalty to-Christ. °Gh./'2:'1-4;, 6: 4-12.) To «urn 
back from following Christ for the sake of the Jewish 
religious rites would be like the Children of Israel 
turning back from the promised liberty of Canaan 
to the bondage of Egypt. Ch. 3: 7-19. The author 
urges loyalty to Christ in spite of trial and persecu- 
tion. Ch. 12: 1-13. And why should believers in 
Jesus be disheartened if they are cast out of Judaism 
and forfeit its privileges? They must be ready to 
withdraw from the camp of Israel even as Jesus was 
willing to go outside the city to be crucified, Ch. 13: 
1 pa i 

The whole argument of the epistle is that in Christ 
the believer has all that Judaism offered, and more. 
Christianity has a better message than Judaism. God 
indeed spoke in the Old Testament through the 
prophets, but in the New Testament he has spoken 
through his Son. Ch. 1:1, 2. Christ is superior to 
all other teachers. He is Heir of all things, the 
Creator, the Image of God, the Upholder of all things, 
superior to heavenly beings, exalted at the right hand 

173 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


of God. Chs. 1: 2-14; 2: 5-9. Judaism gave 
supreme place to Moses, but Jesus is as much greater 
than Moses as a son is greater than a servant. Ch. 
3: 3-6. Judaism made much of the priesthood: 
“For every high priest, being taken from among men, 
is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that 
he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: who 
can bear gently with the ignorant and erring, for that 
he himself also is compassed with infirmity.”? Ch. 5: 
1, 2. But Jesus is superior to Israel’s priesthood of 
the house of Aaron. Heisa priest after the new order 
of Melchizedek, “having neither beginning of days 
nor end of life,’ ch. 7: 3. His sacrifice is better than 
all the offerings of tabernacle or Temple, for “now 
once at the end of the ages hath he been manifested 
to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself,” ch. 9: 26. 
“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who 
through the eternal Spirit offered himself without 
blemish unto God, cleanse your conscience from dead 
works to serve the living God?” Ch.9:14. The high 
priest of Israel once a year went into the Holy Place 
in the tabernacle and the Temple to offer the blood 
of the sacrifice and make intercession for the people. 
But in Christ we have a Mediator who can be ‘‘touched 
with the feeling of our infirmities” because he was 
“in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin,” 
ch. 4: 15. Believers in Jesus have not lost the 
blessings of the covenant of Israel, but in Christ have 
a Mediator of a better covenant. Chs. 8: 6; 9: 15; © 
12: 24. Jewish Christians might feel that they had 
lost much because Christianity replaces forms and 
ceremonies, things which can be seen and felt, by 
174 


THE CHURCH AND THE OLD TESTAMENT 


things which are spiritual and which cannot be seen 
with the eyes or felt with the fingers. But the great 
realities after all are the unseen realities of faith. 
Ch. 11: 1. The great heroes of the Old Testament, 
the heroes of Judaism, were men and women of faith 
in the unseen. Ch. 11. The Christian therefore 
puts his faith not in forms or ceremonies which are 


seen and felt, but in the great spiritual realities of 
Christ. 


Summary. Christianity grew out of Judaism 
but is superior to Judaism because Christianity has 
Christ, who is the fulfillment of all the hopes and 
promises of Judaism as expressed in the Old Testament 
Scriptures. The Christian Church shares with 
Judaism the Old Testament Scriptures. The New 
Testament quotes the Old Testament, carries over 
many of the ideas and uses many of the forms and 
figures of the Old Testament to express New Testa- 
ment truth. The Christian Church, however, became 
independent of the national laws of the Old Testa- 
ment, and gave up the ceremonial rites of the Old 
Testament, but held fast to the great moral, and 
spiritual truths revealed through “the prophets.”’ 
Believers in Christ inherit, the blessings of the cov- 
enant of God’s people; they have a better high priest 
and a better sacrifice. All that Judaism had to offer, 
Christianity offers to believers as spiritual realities 
laid hold upon by faith. 


QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 


1. Count and look up all the marginal references to Old 
Testament books in connection with one of the books of the New 


175 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


Testament. Take, for example, Hebrews, Romans, or I Corin- 
thians. 


2. In a concordance look up every instance of the use of the 
word ‘fulfilled’ in connection with the fulfillment of the Old 
Testament in the New Testament. Make a list of these and by 
means of the marginal references note the passages of the Old 
Testament thus referred to. 


3. Trace the influence of the Old Testament in giving form 
to one prominent Christian idea, such as the meaning of ‘‘God,”’ 
the meaning of “Christ,” the expression “Lamb of God,” the 
words “sacrifice,” “high priest,” or “atonement.” 

4. Trace the idea of covenant in the Scriptures, both Old 
and New Testaments. See article on ‘covenant’ in a Bible 
dictionary and also look up the texts in the Bible in which the 
word occurs. 

5. What change in attitude toward the Old Testament was 
to be expected in the Christian Church: (a) in view of the com- 
mission to the Church to proclaim the gospel to all nations; 
(b) in view of the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies 
and types in Christ; (c) in view of the destruction of Jerusalem 
and the Temple? 

6. What was the purpose of The Epistle to the Hebrews? 
Consult a Bible dictionary or a commentary on the epistle. 


7. Make an outline of The Epistle to the Hebrews. 


Tue Books or THE NEw TESTAMENT 


The Gospel:— Romans James 
' According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
According to Mark II Corinthians II Peter 
According to Luke Galatians I John 
According to John Ephesians - II John 
The Acts Philippians IIT John 
Colossians Jude 


I Thessalonians Revelation 
II Thessalonians 

I Timothy 

II Timothy 

Titus 

Philemon 

Hebrews 


176 


CHAPTER XVIII 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH AND. 
HUMAN PHILOSOPHY 


Seripture Material to Be Read: Acts, ch. 17; I Cor., 
chi. 2; Colsych::2 


The Problem of the Chapter. In the preceding 
chapter we considered the attitude of the New 
Testament Church toward the Scriptures and in- 
stitutions of Judaism. The Christian Church, be- 
cause of its world-wide mission to Gentiles as well 
as to Jews, had to deal with nations which did not 
have the teachings of the prophets of Israel and their 
traditions, but which had the ideas and views that 
had come to them through their own teachers. 
What was the attitude of the New Testament Church 
toward human reason and toward the learning and 
philosophy of the Gentiles? 


The New Testament Church and the Human 
Mind. Jesus was the Master Teacher. He under- 
stood that his task was to put truth into a form, and 
present it by a method, adapted to his disciples or 
learners. He said to his disciples, “I have yet many 
things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them 
now.” John 16: 12. He recognized the limitations 
of the mental processes of men. He used the forms 
of thought to which his hearers were accustomed and 

177 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


expanded these forms to hold the new truth he wished 
to teach. So clearly did Jesus use methods of 
teaching which were adapted to the nature of the 
mind that..almost every new theory of education 
which has any, value can be illustrated from the 
teaching of Jesus. So the New Testament Church, 
led by men who had sat at the feet of the great 
Teacher, recognized the limitations of the human 
mind and employed sane and sound principles and 
methods for the teaching ofthe truth which the 
Church had for the world... .When Paul was at Lystra, 
where, the people knew only heathen. gods, he. skill- 
fully endeavored to make known to them the one 
true God by taking advantage of those. general ideas 
which they had acquired through their experience 
and observation. Acts 14: 14-18.. Paul’s famous 
address. at Athens’ is another illustration of the 
adaptation of Christian truth to the mind of the 
hearer... The various New ‘Testament books illus- 
trate this practice of recognizing the natural opera- 
tions of the human mind:. As we shall see in later 
chapters, each of the gospels was written for a special 
audience. . The various epistles are adapted to. the 
thought and.environment: of their readers. .The 
New Testament Church recognized the: necessity of 
putting. truth in a way adapted to reach the minds 
of learners. | 


The New Testament Church Appealed to — 
Reason. Jesus did not hesitate to say, “Verily, 
verily, I say unto you,” and “he taught them as one 
having authority,” but he also reasoned with them. 

178 


THE CHURCH AND HUMAN PHILOSOPHY 


From a premise he reasoned to a conclusion. He 
matched wits with the intellectual men of his day. 
When he was accused of casting out demons by the 
power of the prince of demons, his reply was a pure 
appeal to reason: “How can Satan cast out Satan? 
And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that 
kingdom cannot stand,’ Mark 3: 23, 24. When 
Jesus had cleansed the Temple the rulers of the 
Temple asked him by what authority he did these 
things. Jesus answered them by a question which 
was an intellectual exposure of the insincerity and 
incapacity of his critics. Mark 11: 27-33. So the 
apostles also appealed. to reason. They reasoned 
from the Scriptures, appealing to the judgment of 
men as to whether their conclusions were sound. 
They reasoned from accepted facts to logical con- 
clusions ‘from those ‘accepted facts. The New 
Testament Church did not dethrone reason. When 
Paul addressed the Athenian Epicurean and Stoic 
philosophers he showed that the Athenian religious 
practices were illogical. Acts 17:24-29. The epistles 
of the New Testament are in large part arguments 
from accepted truths to other truths which follow 
from them. Peter was not talking about the reason 
alone when he wrote, “Girding up the loins of your 
mind,” but certainly New Testament Christianity 
called men to real thinking. . The “‘darkened”’ mind 
was lamented. ‘Rom. 1: 21. Reason was given its 
place. True Christianity has always been the 
champion of education. In ‘history there has been a 
vital connection between the things symbolized by the 
church spire and by the little red:schoolhouse, ~ 
179 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


The Limitations of Reason. While appealing 
to reason, the New Testament recognized the limita- 
tions of reason. To Nicodemus Jesus said, “Art 
thou the teacher of Israel, and understandest not 
these things?” The truth Jesus taught had not been 
discovered by this Jewish student. In his address at 
Athens Paul gave a picture of man’s vain search after 
a knowledge of God, when he spoke of men feeling 
after God to find him, though he was not far from 
each one of them, “for in him we live, and move, and 
have our being,’”’? Acts 17: 27, 28. In his essay on 
“Philosophy” in ““The Legacy of Greece,” J. Burnet 
tells us that Plato, the great Greek philosopher, ‘“‘has 
left us the first systematic defence of Theism we 
know of, and it is based entirely on his doctrine of 
soul as the selfmover. But the highest soul, or God, 
is not only the ultimate source of motion, but also 
supremely good.” And yet Plato, with all his 
powers of reason, was not able to give to the world 
the Christian conception of God. Writing to Corinth 
Paul said, ‘‘The world through its wisdom knew not 
God.”” This is the position of the New Testament 
Church. It recognized the nature of the human 
mind to which truth is to be made known; it appealed 
to reason and made use of argument and logic; but 
it declared that through human reason the truth 
about Ged and the way of life could not be dis- 
covered. Philosophy is man’s search for truth; 
revelation is God’s making truth known to man. 


A Message from God. The New Testament 
Church therefore declared that it had a message 
180 


THE CHURCH AND HUMAN PHILOSOPHY 


from God which man by his reasoning could not 
discover for himself. The message of the New 
Testament is a message which came out of heaven. 
“He that cometh from above is above all: he that is 
of the earth is of the earth, and of the earth he 
speaketh: he that cometh from heaven is above all. 
What he hath seen and heard, of that he beareth 
witness; and no man receiveth his witness. He that 
hath received his witness hath set his seal to this, 
that God is true. For he whom God hath sent 
speaketh the words of God: for he- giveth not the 
Spirit by measure.” John 3: 31-384. And Matthew 
records: ‘At that season Jesus answered and said, 
I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, 
that thou didst hide these things from the wise and 
understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes.” 
Matt. 11: 25, 26. 

We need not be surprised therefore to find this 
same idea running through the whole New Testament 
and dominating the Church as it proclaimed its 
message. The Church had a message from God for 
the world. In his earliest epistle Paul called his 
message “the gospel of God,’ I Thess. 2: 8, and in v. 
13 he said, “When ye received from us the word of 
the message, even the word of God, ye accepted it 
not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the 
word of God, which also worketh in you that believe.” 
In his Epistle to the Galatians he insisted that his 
message did not come through human sources. Ch. 
1: 11, 12. Paul’s point was that he was on an 
equality with the other apostles who likewise had 
received the gosnel direct from Jesus, who had come 

181 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


out of heaven. The gospel was a message com- 
mitted to men, not discovered or thought out by men. 
Paul speaks of ‘‘the gospel of the glory of the blessed 
God, which was committed” to his trust. I Tim. 1: 
11. The Church’s Commission was “Go ye therefore, 
and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them 
into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the 
Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things 
whatsoever I commanded you.” Matt. 28: 19, 20. 


_ The Conflict-Between the Church and Human 
Philosophy. J. Burnet, in his essay referred to 
above, defines the meaning of “philosophy” as used 
by the Greeks, as ‘‘a serious endeavor to understand 
the world and man, having for its chief aim the dis- 
covery of the right way of life and the conversion of 
people to it.” In delivering its message, concerning 
the character of God, the nature of man, the 
way of salvation in Christ, and the call to faith and 
repentance and obedience, the Church was bound to 
come into conflict with human philosophy. 

In the account of Paul’s visit to Athens, The Acts 
names two Greek schools of philosophy, the Epi- 
cureans and the Stoics. We are not concerned here 
with the teaching of these philosophers, but with 
Paul’s attitude toward them. We observe that 
Paul began his address in a way which would win 
their sympathetic attention without in the least 
yielding any Christian truth. He was ready to 
avail himself of any truth which ‘he had found in 
their systems. Indeed he quoted one of the Greek 
poets. The quotation, ‘‘For we are also his off- 

182 


THE CHURCH AND HUMAN PHILOSOPHY 


spring,’ Acts 17: 28, is found, word for word, in the 
poem of Aratus, a physician of Cilicia, Paul’s native 
province, who lived about 270 s.c. This is an 
astronomical poem entitled Phaenomena. The fol- 
lowing translation of a part of this poem is taken from 
the ‘‘People’s Commentary on Acts,’ by Edwin W. 
Rice: 


From Zeus begin we: Never let us leave 

His name unloved.. With him, with Zeus, are filled 
All paths we tread, and all the marts of men: 
Filled too the sea, and every creek and bay: 

And all in all things need we help of Zeus, 

For we, too, are his offspring. 


Similar words are found, however, in the ‘‘Hymn 
to Zeus,” by Cleanthes, a stoic philosopher who 
succeeded Zenos, the founder of Stoicism in Athens. 
This is said to be one of the purest and noblest pieces 
of poetry in the Greek language. We should expect 
the Stoic philosophers of Athens to recall this poem 
as Paul spoke. In “The Vitality of Platonism and 
Other Essays,” James Adam, of Emmanuel College, 
Cambridge, gives the following translation of part of 
this hymn: 


O God most glorious, called by many a name, 

Nature’s great King, through endless years the same; 
Omnipotence, who by thy just decree 

Controllest all, hail, Zeus, for unto thee 

Behoves thy creatures in all lands to call. 

We are thy children, we alone, of all 

On earth’s broad ways that wander to and fro, 

Bearing thine image wheresoe’er we go. . 
Wherefore with songs of praise thy power I will forth show. 


183 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 

A. R. Gordon in the article on “Quotations” in 
the “Dictionary of the Apostolic Church” ealls 
attention to Rendel Harris’ recent tracing of Paul’s 
words, “For in him we live, and move, and have our 
being,’’ to the “Minos” of Epimenides, an ancient 
Greek poet of Crete, whom Paul quotes in Titus 1: 12. 
The following translation of the text quoted there is 
by W. D’Arcy Stephens: 


A burial place they cunningly devised 

For thee, O God most glorious, most high— 
Those all-deceitful Cretans, those wild beasts, 
With evil minds and stomachs sleek with food. 
But thou art not to die; forevermore 

Alive thou standest, and in thee we breathe 
And move about and are alive ourselves. 


But we should observe that in his encounter with 
the philosophers of Athens, Paul, while ready to 
quote their poets and teachers, declared that he had 
a message which the seekers after truth could not 
find for themselves. He had come to declare a 
message from the God whom the Athenians worshiped 
in ignorance, a message of repentance and of judg- 
ment, the message of Jesus who died and rose again 
from the dead—the ‘‘gospel.”’ 

From Athens Paul went to Corinth,.another Greek 
city, where he preached the gospel as “‘the testimony 
of God.”’ In the second chapter of the First Epistle 
to the Corinthians he discusses his attitude toward © 
human wisdom as over against the wisdom of God 
revealed in the gospel committed to the Church. 
Read this chapter and study Paul’s teaching. Paul’s 
message was the simple message of Jesus crucified. 

184 


THE CHURCH AND HUMAN PHILOSOPHY 


His aim was to lead the people to put their faith in 
the power of God and not in the wisdom of men. 
The wisdom which he offered was not man’s wisdom 
but the wisdom which God revealed. He was eager 
that his hearers and readers “might know the things 
that were freely given to us of God. Which things 
also we speak, not in words which man’s wisdom 
teacheth, but which the Spirit teacheth.”’ 

Various forms of “human” teaching were en- 
countered from time to time in the churches. In his 
letter to the Colossians he refers to ‘philosophy.’ 
The word would indicate better what is meant if it 
were translated ‘‘theosophy,” for what Paul referred 
to was not a philosophy like that of the Greeks, but 
a strange mixture of Jewish ceremonialism and 
Oriental dreams which were taught as “secrets”? too 
sacred to be committed to writing. This teaching 
was probably a forerunner of what was later known 
as Gnosticism. With this teaching of men Paul 
deals in the second chapter of Colossians. The truth, 
Paul declares, is revealed in Christ. Understanding 
is found in knowing “the mystery of God, even Christ, 
in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowl- 
edge hidden.” ‘Take heed,” he urges, “lest there 
shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his 
philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men 
after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ: 
for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead 
bodily, and in him ye are made full.”’ 

In the New Testament all truth is summed up in 
Christ, and the test of all teaching is its relation to the 
revelation of Christ. 

185 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


Summary. The New Testament Church recog- 
nized the place of human reason. Its message was 
to be adapted to the minds which were to receive it. 
The New Testament Church appealed to reason, 
seeking to prove from accepted facts the soundness 
of its message and the consistency of its teaching. 
But the New Testament Church taught that man by 
wisdom cannot find out God. Human reason had 
failed as the source of truth concerning God and men 
and the way of life. The “gospel’’ was the message 
from God to men, supernaturally revealed in Christ. 
The values in human philosophy were to be recog- 
nized and accepted. Christianity availed itself of 
all the assured products of human thought, but in 
case of conflict the revealed gospel of Christ was the 
final appeal. When the conclusions of human reason 
denied the nature of God as revealed in the Scriptures, 
or the nature and work of Christ, or the nature and 
needs of man, or the way of life taught by Jesus, the 
New Testament rejected this teaching as both de- 
ficient and false. 


QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 


1. In the light of the attitude of the New Testament toward 
the human mind what should be the Church’s attitude to-day 
toward new teaching principles and methods? 


2. What was the attitude of Christ and the apostles toward 
the appeal to reason in teaching Christian truth? 

3. What limitations of human reason as a source of truth did ° 
the New Testament recognize? 

4. What was thep,attitude of the New Testament Church 
toward its ‘gospel’? 

5. What was the attitude of the New Testament Church 
toward human learning? 


186 


THE CHURCH AND HUMAN PHILOSOPHY 


6. What test must be met by any teaching before it could be 
accepted by the New Testament Church? 

For students who are ready for them, the following additional 
questions are suggested: 

7. What was the teaching of the Epicureans, and wherein did 
it differ from the teaching of Paul? 

8. What was the teaching of the Stoics, and wherein did it 
differ from the teaching of Paul? 

9. What was meant by “philosophy” in Col. 2: 8? 

10. What was probably meant by “knowledge [Greek gnosis] 
which 1s falsely so called’? I Tim. 6: 20. 

For questions 7, 8, 9, and 10, see the article on ‘‘Philosophy”’ 
in a good Bible bictionary and in the ‘‘Dictionary of the Apostolic 
Church’’; also articles on ‘‘Epicureans,” “‘Stoics,” and ‘‘Gnostics,”’ 


and the index of Conybeare and Howson’s ‘“‘Life and Epistles of 
the Apostle Paul.” 


Tue Books or THE New TESTAMENT 


The Gospel :— Romans James 
According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
According to Mark II Corinthians II Peter 
According to Luke Galatians I John 
According to John Ephesians II John 

The Acts Philippians III John 

‘Colossians Jude 


I Thessalonians’ Revelation 
II Thessalonians 

I Timothy 

II Timothy 

Titus 

Philemon 

Hebrews 


187 


CHAPTER XIX 
THE CHURCH AND ITS TEMPTATIONS 


Scripture Material to Be Read: I and II ess I, Il, 
and III John; Jude 


The Problem of the Chapter. What needs of 
the New Testament Church were met by the books 
which are known as the General Epistles? 


The Epistles of the New Testament. We have 
already considered The Epistle of James, which was 
probably the earliest New Testament book and was 
written to the scattered congregations of Jewish 
Christians. We have considered also the epistles of 
Paul, which were written from time to time during 
his ministry largely to meet specific needs of which 
he became aware in his oversight of the churches he 
had established and in his interest in the Church at 
large. I and II Thessalonians are the earliest. 
Galatians was written to meet the issue raised by 
the Judaizers. I and II Corinthians dealt with 
questions and practical problems in the church in 
Corinth. Romans presents in a systematic way © 
Paul’s gospel. During his first imprisonment Paul 
wrote Colossians and Ephesians, with their lofty 
doctrinal teaching concerning Christ, Philippians 
with its friendly message from the heart of the 
apostle, and Philemon with its personal appeal to a 

188 


THE CHURCH AND ITS TEMPTATIONS 


friend. After his release and during his second im- 
prisonment Paul wrote his Pastoral Epistles to 
Timothy and to Titus, to guide these ministers in the 
organization and teaching of the churches. The 
Epistle to the Hebrews was written to show Jewish 
Christians that in Christ and the gospel all that was 
foreshadowed in the Old Testament was fulfilled. 
But among the books of the New Testament we find 
another group of epistles, different from these just 
mentioned because of their general character both 
in regard to their teaching and in regard to the 
persons to whom they are addressed. ‘These are 
known as the General Epistles. 


The General Epistles. The General Epistles 
belong in the same group with The Epistle of James 
which was considered in Chapter VI. The epistles 
are called “general” because they are not addressed 
to individual churches or to particular people, but 
to believers in general over a wide area. This is 
true of all these epistles except II and III John. 
These two short letters were early attached to I John, 
and so grouped with the other epistles as ‘‘general.”’ 
Concerning the time and place and circumstances of 
the writing of the General Epistles there is wide 
difference of opinion. Some scholars place them 
early in the apostolic history, while others place them 
late, and the problem of each must be studied sep- 
arately. For our purpose there is little need of 
attempting to locate each of these epistles in time, 
as our aim is to see what light they throw upon the 
general experience of the Church in New Testament 

189 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


times, and particularly what they reveal concerning 
the difficulties and temptations and trials with which 
the New Testament Christians met. The General 
Epistles are of special value because they are so 
general and do not deal with particular situations or 
problems in a single church or in a closely related 
group of churches as did so many of the epistles of 
the Apostle Paul. 


The First Epistle of Peter. The writer of the 
First Epistle of Peter characterizes himself as ‘‘Peter, 
an apostle of Jesus Christ.” Ch.1:1. There can be 
no doubt that the Apostle Peter is meant, and it is 
significant that no claim is made to any authority 
different from that of other apostles. He is merely 
an apostle among apostles. The letter is written 
from ‘‘Babylon,” ch. 5: 18. Some scholars are quite 
positive that ‘‘Babylon” is used in a symbolic sense 
and means Rome. Others are quite as sure that it 
means the real Babylon, and that Peter wrote the 
epistle from the East. The letter is addressed to the 
“sojourners of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, 
Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.’’ Clearly the mes- 
sage is for Christians throughout what to-day we 
would call Asia Minor. 

The writer seems to indicate that Christians were 
living in a very unsettled state. He calls his readers 
“sojourners,”’ or ‘exiles.—_-Ch.. 11-145 23) ig 
may mean that the Christians have been exiled from 
their homes, or it may mean that conditions are such 
that the Christians realize how temporary this world 
is; they are pilgrims on the earth. Since they are of | 

190 


THE CHURCH AND ITS TEMPTATIONS 


“the Dispersion,” they are to be considered as 
scattered from Jerusalem. 

Whether those to whom this letter was addressed 
were Jewish Christians or Gentiles has been debated. 
The Dispersion would seem to indicate that they were 
Jewish Christians, but ch. 2: 10—‘‘who in time past 
were no people, but now are the people of God’— 
would seem to indicate that they were Gentiles. No 
doubt the churches included both Jews and Gentiles. 

Paul had plainly told the Thessalonian Christians 
that they must expect to experience suffering as 
Christians. I Thess. 3: 4, 5. This was almost the 
universal experience in the Apostolic Church. So 
the scattered Christians to whom Peter wrote were 
passing through “fire” for their faith. Ch. 1: 6, 7; 
4: 12-16. 

Christians would experience the conflict with 
paganism. This conflict might be within the family. 
Perhaps a husband would be won to Christ and have 
to contend with a pagan wife, or a wife might become 
a Christian and would have to endure opposition on 
the part of her husband. Ch. 3: 1-7. Because a 
person was a Christian he would meet with difficulty 
in the community. Christians were watched with 
jealous and critical eyes by their neighbors. Ch. 2:12. 
The Christians’ beliefs and standards of conduct 
would be different from those of their pagan neighbors. 
Peter urges Christians to be faithful under such trying 
circumstances. They are to be open in their testimony 
for Christ, able to defend their beliefs and to give a 
reason for their hope, and to endure opposition pa- 
tiently. Ch. 3: 13-22. | 

191 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


Evidently it was not easy for the Christians to 
yield to civil authority. Laws were proclaimed 
against them, and their sense of liberty would make 
these laws galling, but Peter insists that Christians 
must endeavor to be law-abiding no matter how 
difficult this may be. Ch. 2: 13-17; 4: 15, 16. 

The members of the Christian Church would find 
themselves in difficulty in their relations to society. 
There were the relationships of servant and master. 
A Christian slave might expect harsh treatment at 
the hands of a heathen master. This is one of the 
trials to which Peter refers as he urges Christian 
servants, or slaves, to render faithful service even to 
unreasonable and persecuting masters. 

Besides these trials and temptations from without, 
Christians would have to fight those temptations 
which come from within. They were called to holy 
living, ch. 1: 13-16, and so they would have to fight 
evil thoughts and desires which are so natural to the 
human heart, ch. 2: 1; they would have to fight the 
passions and lusts which are natural to the human 
body, ch. 4: 1-6; and they would have to overcome 
the spirit of selfishness and be generous in their 
hospitality, ch. 4: 7-11. 

Amidst such conditions as these the Christian 
churches were heroically endeavoring to maintain 
themselves and to minister to their members and to 
carry on their work in the community. Ch. 5: 1-4. 
The ministers of the churches are urged to overcome 
the natural temptations of their office, and the 
members of the churches are urged to be submissive 
to those who are in authority over them and to be 

192 


THE CHURCH AND ITS TEMPTATIONS 


faithful and earnest in their Christian living. Ch. 5: 
5-9. 

Are not many of these trials to which Peter refers 
the same commonplace temptations and difficulties 
which the Church encounters to-day? 


The Second Epistle of Peter. A second epistle 
bears as the name of the writer, “Simon Peter, a 
servant and apostle of Jesus Christ.’”? This is one of 
the epistles whose authorship has been debated. 
Because of difference in style from I Peter, because 
of references which some think imply conditions 
which were later than the time of the Apostle Peter, 
the argument has been made that the epistle did not 
come from the pen of Peter. However, the epistle 
elaims to have been written by him. The writer 
refers to a previous epistle which he had written, 
ch. 3: 1, and an analysis of the letter shows many 
parallels between it and events in Peter’s experience, 
and also parallels to other New Testament utter- 
ances of this apostle. The writer of the epistle is 
facing death. Ch. 1: 14. Assuming that the letter 
was written by Peter, and that he died in Rome about 
A.D. 68, the letter was probably written from Rome 
about A.D. 68. 

About what was the writer of this epistle con- 
cerned? The greatest danger seems to have been 
the danger of false teachers, as was the case when 
Paul wrote his Epistle to the Colossians and _ his 
Pastoral Epistles. ‘‘Wherefore I shall be ready 
always to put you in remembrance of these things, 
though ye know them, and are established in the 

193 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


- truth which is with you.... Yea, I will give diligence 
that at every time ye may be able after my decease to 
call these things to remembrance.” II Peter 1: 12, 15. 

Two chief errors in the teaching and practice of the 
churches are indicated. The first of these is a denial 
of Jesus as he was preached by the apostles and as he 
is presented in the New Testament Scriptures. Ch. 
2:1. Closely related to this error in faith is error in 
practice. Error in doctrine led to error in living. 
Ch. 2: 2. One of the errors was what has been 
called ‘‘antinomianism,” or setting aside the law. 
The gospel proclaimed the forgiveness of sin and 
salvation by faith in Christ. Understanding only 
one side of the. truth, the Antinomians interpreted 
Christian liberty as a deliverance from all require- 
ment of the moral law. Being under grace and 
not under the law, they therefore set aside the 
Christian standards of conduct and advocated sinful 
license. This is what is referred to when the epistle 
says that some ‘‘wrested”’ the writings of Paul from 
their true meaning. 

Another problem in the Church was raised by the 
hope of the immediate return of Christ. The first 
generation of Christians was passing away. Peter’s 
death was at hand. The insinuation was made that 
the expected return of Christ was a false hope. The 
failure of Christ to appear was causing doubt and 
concern on the part of Christians and ridicule on the 
part of unbelievers. Instead of some expected 
cataclysm, the world seemed to move on as it had 
since its creation. Peter therefore insists that Christ 
will return, that his warnings and his promises will 

194 


THE CHURCH AND ITS TEMPTATIONS 


be fulfilled, but that with the Lord one day is as a 
thousand years and a thousand years as one day. 
Ch. 3: 1-18. | 

Quite appropriately the epistle closes with the 
hortatory benediction: ‘‘But grow in the grace and 
knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.’ 


The Epistle of Jude. Another epistle bears the 
name of ‘‘Jude,’’ or Judas, ‘‘a servant of Jesus Christ, 
and brother of James.” The most natural inter- 
pretation is that this is Jude, the brother of our Lord, 
mentioned in Matt. 18: 55; Mark 6: 3. “It is quite 
possible that a younger brother of Jesus, whose 
missionary labors had led him into Gentile-Christian 
circles, may have written the letter about a.p. 80-90.” 
Warfield has said that the epistle was intended 
for Jewish Christians living in Palestine. The most 
striking fact about the epistle is that verses 4-18, 
with the exception of verses 14 and 15, are represented 
in II Peter 2: 1 to 3: 8. Assuming the genuineness 
of II Peter, we must conclude that Jude was familiar 
with that letter and quoted from it, or that Peter 
quoted from Jude. Two needs suggested by II Peter 
are prominent in this epistle also—true faith in Jesus 
Christ and holy living. Vs. 3, 4, 17-23. The book 
ends with a benediction which is frequently used in 
the Church to-day. 


- The Epistles of John. Grouped with the General 

Epistles are three Epistles of John. The Second and 

Third Epistles are very short and personal. None 

of the three epistles bears the name of John, but in 
195 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


the Church from the very earliest times they have 
been ascribed to him. The suggestion has been made 
that because of persecution the name of the writer 
was not given, but the recipients of the letters would 
recognize him immediately. The First Epistle re- 
sembles the Gospel by John in so many respects that 
they seem to be by the same author. The letters 
were probably written toward the end of the first 
century, near the close of John’s life, and probably 
from Ephesus. The first four verses of the epistle 
resemble the beginning of the Fourth Gospel and fit 
into the life of John. Outstanding words in the 
epistle are “light,” “‘life,’’ “love,’”’ and ‘‘truth,” as 
characteristics of God and of Christians. The 
frequent use of the word “world” in the epistle in- 
dicates that the apostle saw the conflict in the life of 
the believer in Jesus who tried to be ‘“‘in the world, 
but not of it.”” He is concerned about false teaching 
in regard to Jesus, especially the denial that he is the 
Son of God who came in the flesh. Ch. 2: 22; 4: 1-6. 
He deals with such subjects as sin, worldliness, 
purity, service, love, faith, and holy living. 

The Second Epistle is addressed to ‘‘the elect lady 
and her children,’’ which some interpret as being a 
church and its members while others take this as a 
personal letter to a Christian woman. In this letter 
again we find anxiety about the truth, not merely as 
something to be believed but as something to be 
lived. A warning is sounded against false teachers 
who are going about leading believers away from the 
teaching of Christ. 

The Third Epistle is addressed to Gaius, but who 

196 


THE CHURCH AND ITS TEMPTATIONS 


Gaius was we do not know. His Christian hospitality 
is commended and the self-seeking of Diotrephes is 
denounced. Demetrius, of whom also we know 
nothing, is praised. 


Summary. There are seven epistles which are 
‘grouped together in the New Testament as General 
Hpistles, although two of these, II and III John, are 
personal and local rather than general. The Epistle 
of James belongs very early in the history of the 
Church and was considered in an earlier chapter. 
The rest of the epistles reveal the struggles and the 
temptations and trials of the Christians in the later 
days of the apostles. The Christians often endured 
persecution, but always had to struggle against the 
influence of non-Christian surroundings. Often in 
their homes and nearly always in their communities 
they found it difficult to live up to their ideals. They 
had to struggle against the temptations from within 
as well as with difficulties from without. They had 
to guard against teachers of false doctrine and morals. 
They were “in” the world, but as followers of Jesus 
they were not to be “of” the world. To help be- 
lievers amidst such conditions, Peter and John and 
Jude wrote their letters of exhortation and encour- 
agement and these letters have been preserved as 
books of the New Testament. 


QUESTIONS FoR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 


1. Name the books of the New Testament usually included in 
the group of “General Epistles.”” Which are not strictly “gen- 
eral’? See a Bible dictionary under “Epistles” or ‘General 
Epistles,” or “New Testament.” 


197 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


2. What does The First Epistle of Peter itself indicate con- 
cerning its author, the place of writing, and its destination? 
Check up your own conclusions with the statements and inter- 
pretations to be found in a commentary or in the article on the 
epistle in a Bible dictionary. 

3. What experiences of Christians in Asia Minor are indicated 
in I Peter? Compare these experiences with the experiences of 
Christians to-day. Which of these conflicts do Christians ex- 
perience to-day? ; 

4. What is meant by antinomianism and what has The 
Second Epistle of Peter to say about this error? Read the epistle 
and look up antinomianism in a dictionary or encyclopedia. 
Information will be found also in a commentary on II Peter. 

5. Find for yourself and write in parallel columns all the 
passages which are common to both II Peter and Jude. Which 
one would you think quoted the previously existing letter of the 
other? Why? 

6. State the reasons in favor of the Apostle John as the 
author of The First Epistle of John. Seea Bible dictionary under 
“First Epistle of John” or a commentary on the epistle. 

7. Read through The First Epistle of John and note every 
time the word ‘‘world” occurs. Gather these texts together and 
on the basis of these texts write a statement concerning the 
Christian’s relation to the world. 


TueE Books oF THE NEw TESTAMENT 


The Gospel:— Romans James 
According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
According to Mark II Corinthians II Peter 
According to Luke Galatians I John 
According to John Ephesians II John 

The Acts Philippians III John 

Colossians Jude 


I Thessalonians Revelation 
II Thessalonians 

I Timothy 

II Timothy 

Titus 

Philemon 

Hebrews 


198 


CHAPTER XX 
THE CHURCH AND PERSECUTION 
Scripture Material to Be Read: Revelation 


The Problem of the Chapter. What is the 
purpose and message of the book of Revelation? 


The Church a Persecuted Institution. Jesus 
warned his disciples that they must expect to ex- 
perience persecution. Those were not unique words 
which he spoke in Matt. 10: 22, but words which 
were characteristic of his teaching: ‘‘And ye shall 
be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that 
endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.” Paul 
warned the Thessalonian Christians that they must 
expect to experience persecution. I Thess. 3: 4, 5. 
I Peter 4: 12-14, as we noted in the preceding chapter, 
spoke of the “fiery trial” through which the believers 
in Jesus were passing. The story of the Church has 
been a story of persecutions. 

The believers in Jesus were first persecuted by the 
Jews, and Stephen, the first Christian martyr, died 
at the hands of infuriated opponents without the 
formality of a trial. The persecution which followed, 
under the leadership of Saul of Tarsus, was a persecu- 
tion by the Jewish authorities. Wherever the 
missionaries went, the synagogues were hotbeds of 
opposition. 

The opposition to the Church seemed to take a new 

199 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


turn when “Herod the king” laid hands upon leaders 
of the Church and beheaded James the brother of 
John, for this was the act of a Roman official. For 
some time, however, the Christians were protected 
from Jewish persecution by the Roman authorities. 
Rome had long had on her statute books laws against 
the introduction of new deities, and the worship of the 
emperor was commanded, but the application of these 
laws to the Christians was left largely to the discretion 
of local officials. The time came, however, when the 
Roman emperor assumed the role of persecutor of 
the Christian Church. There were in the first 
century two great periods of persecution under the 
authority of Rome—the reign of Nero and the reign 
of Domitian. In his “History of the Christian 
Church,”’ George P. Fisher summarizes the situation 
briefly. The withdrawal of Christians from employ- 
ments and diversions which involved the countenance- 
ing of heathen worship or immorality led to the charge 
that Christians were unsocial. The absence of any 
images in their worship led to the accusation that they 
were atheists. The demand of repentance and holy 
living aroused resentment. The attitude toward the 
Christians, soon after the burning of Rome, in the 
reign of Nero, who died A.D. 68, is indicated by the 
Roman historian Tacitus: “A vast multitude were 
convicted, not so much on the charge of making the 
conflagration, as of hating the human race. And in 
their deaths they were made the subjects of sport, 
for they were covered with hides of wild beasts, and 
worried to death by dogs, or nailed to crosses, or 
set fire to, and when the day declined were burned to 
200 ott 


THE CHURCH AND PERSECUTION 


serve for nocturnal lights.” Under Domitian about 
A.D. 95, Christians were subjected to savage perse- 
cution. The charge against them was atheism, 
because the followers of Christ denied the Roman 
gods and rejected all images in their worship. 


The Book of Revelation. One of the books of 
the New Testament was written for the comfort and 
encouragement of Christians in such times of perse- 
cution. This is the book of Revelation. William 
Milligan, in ‘‘The Expositor’s Bible,” says: ‘The 
more Christians are compelled to feel that the world 
hates them, and that they cannot be its friends, the 
greater to them will be the power and beauty of this 
book. Its revelations, like the stars of the sky, 
shine brightly in the cold, dark night.’”’ The book 
was intended to be read in the churches, especially 
in times of persecution. Moffatt translates ch. 1: 3: 
“Blessed is he who reads aloud, blessed they who bear 
the words of this prophecy and lay to heart what is 
written in it.” There is no book in the New Testa- 
ment concerning which there is so much difference of 
opinion, but amidst all these differences of opinion all 
can agree upon one point, namely, that the book 
was written to comfort and encourage Christians in 
the time of persecution. 

The book of Revelation represents persecution as 
rampant in Asia. Conditions in Ephesus called for 
patience. Ch. 2: 2. In Smyrna there was tribula- 
tion. Ch. 2:10. Antipas had suffered as a martyr 
in Pergamum. Ch. 2:13. If Revelation represents 
conditions at the time, the saints were slain, ch. 6: 9, 

201 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


and put to death with the ax, ch. 20: 4, and perse- 
cutors were drunk with the martyrs’ blood, ch. 16: 6; 
12639187 24519272; 


A Different Kind of Book. No one can read very 
far in the book of Revelation without discovering 
that it is different from other books in the New 
Testament. In the very first chapter is a description 
of Jesus which is different from any description found 
in the books thus far considered. This picture is 
symbolic. The various details in the description 
represent ideas instead of appearance. From the 
fourth chapter on we find that the book presents 
visions in which symbolic figures have a large place, 
a very different method of teaching Christian truth 
from that followed in the other books of the New 
Testament. 

The book is called a “prophecy.” Ch. 1: 3. A 
prophet was one who delivered the message of God 
to men; he was God’s spokesman. The prophet of 
Old Testament times was a messenger of God who 
told men what God would have them believe and do. 
His message concerned largely the duty of the people 
to whom he spoke, but he often spoke of the future. 
Because there were predictions in the messages of the 
prophets, too often we think of prophecy as being 
exclusively prediction. However, the book of Revela- 
tion was a prophecy concerning “things to come.” 
At the same time it was and is a message for the 
living, for their comfort and encouragement in their 
own experiences. , 

The Greek word for ‘“‘revelation” is apokalupsis, 

202 


THE CHURCH AND PERSECUTION 


from which we get our word “apocalypse.” The 
word means revelation, but because of the resemblance 
of Revelation to certain books of Jewish and Christian 
literature, some of them in the Old Testament, the 
word “apocalyptic”? is applied to books or writings 
characterized by figurative or symbolic language, 
which deal especially with the establishment of the 
Kingdom of God in the earth in spite of opposition 
and persecution on the part of the enemies of God. 
The Book of Daniel is an apocalyptic book of the 
Old Testament. Ezekiel also contains apocalyptic 
portions. It is interesting to note that of the more 
than one thousand quotations from the Old Testa- 
ment which Westcott and Hort list in their Greek 
New Testament, more than three hundred and fifty 
are found in Revelation. Over fifty of these are 
from Daniel, and almost fifty are from Ezekiel. 


The Author of the Book. The author of the 
book of Revelation is “John.” Ch. 1: 4, 9; 22: 8. 
There has been difference of opinion in the Church 
concerning what John this is. However, the most 
widely accepted view is that the book was written 
by the Apostle John, the brother of James and the 
son of Zebedee. The last reference to John in The 
Acts is in the statement of ch. 15: 6, in connection 
with the council in Jerusalem, that ‘“‘the apostles and 
the elders were gathered together to consider of this 
matter.”” We know that John was one of these, for 
in Gal. 2: 9, evidently referring to the same incident, 
Paul says that he talked with James and Cephas and 
John. Little more is known certainly about John, 

203 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


but the testimony of the early Church seems to leave 
little doubt that John lived and worked for some 
time in Ephesus and had the oversight of the churches 
of the territory of which Ephesus was the chief city. 
He was banished because of his Christian testimony 
and was exiled on the island of Patmos, one of the 
Sporades, in the Grecian Archipelago. He lived to 
be a very old man and probably died some time in 
the last decade of the first century. The book of 
Revelation was certainly written by a Jewish Chris- 
tian familiar with both Jewish teaching and Christian 
doctrine. The fact has been pointed out that there 
is a difference of style between the Fourth Gospel 
and Revelation, but, as Purves says, ‘‘examination, 
as well as the steadfast tradition of the Church, 
makes the division of authorship both improbable 
and unnecessary.” 


The Time of the Book. Concerning the time 
when the book was written by John there are two 
views. The book belongs to a period of bitter 
persecution, and so is placed by some in the reign of 
Nero, and therefore before the fall of Jerusalem, 
while by others it is placed in the reign of Domitian, 
about A.D. 95. In favor of the latter is the tra- 
dition that John was exiled to Patmos during the 
reign of Domitian. 


The Interpretation of the Book. The book of 
Revelation is difficult to interpret. The fact that it 
uses symbols and figures so extensively accounts for 
this. Interpreters who are quite sure of their own 

204 


THE CHURCH AND PERSECUTION 


interpretation of Revelation do not agree with one 
another. In spite of the great variety of views con- 
cerning the interpretation of the book, there is, 
as has been pointed out, general agreement that 
Revelation was written to encourage Christians ia 
time of trial and persecution. 

The various theories of interpretation are defined 
differently by different writers. In general there are 
four views, which for the student may be outlined in 
very brief form: 

1. Some interpreters hold that the book is a 
description of what was taking place at the time when 
it was written. This view, however, removes from 
the book the element of prediction. 

2. Another view is that the book deals entirely 
with the future and predicts events which are to be 
fulfilled. This would mean that the book did not 
have a message for the people of the day in which it 
was written and was to be read. 

3. <A third view is that the book gives an outline 
of Christian history and that various visions represent 
periods of history in their order. But interpreters 
do not seem to be able to agree concerning the periods 
of time to which the visions apply. 

4. Still other interpreters find in the book great 
truths or principles which are symbolically repre- 
sented. These truths had their application at the time 
in which the book was written and have their applica- 
tion in every age of Christian history. 

There may be combinations of these various views 
or theories, but the most practical use of the bouk 
will be in finding what God would say to us for our 

205 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


exhortation and encouragement in the midst of our 
trials and conflicts as followers of Christ. 


The Letters to the Churches. Revelation 
begins. with an introduction, ch. 1:.1—8, followed by a 
salutation, ch. 1: 4-8. The book is addressed to the 
seven churches of Asia, the province of which Ephesus 
was the capital. In ch. 1: 9-20, John tells of his 
vision of Jesus and gives a symbolic description of the 
risen Lord who appeared to him and wished to send 
his messages to the seven churches. In chapters 2 
and 3 he writes the seven letters to the seven churches 
of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, 
Philadelphia, and Laodicea. In these letters Christ 
exposes and rebukes the weaknesses and failures of 
the churches, recognizes the trials they are enduring 
and the conflicts they: are waging, commends their 
virtues, exhorts to steadfastness and devotion, and 
offers a reward for endurance unto the end. These 
letters are full of messages which apply to Christians 
and to the Church to-day and can be used with great 
benefit irrespective of any views concerning the 
interpretation of the book. 


A Book of Sevens. The sacred number seven is 
given a prominent place in the book of Revelation. 
There are seven main divisions of the book. There 
are seven letters to the seven churches, the sealed 
book with the seven decrees and the breaking of the 
seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven bowls 
or vials. Probably the best known passage in Revela- 
tion is the vision of ‘“‘the holy city, new Jerusalem, 

206 


THE CHURCH AND PERSECUTION 


coming down out of heaven from God,” ch, 21: 1 to 
22:5. The structure of the book is so involved that 
it is impracticable to attempt to give an outline in 
this brief discussion. The student who is especially 
interested in the book will find an outline in a Bible 
dictionary, or in a commentary on Revelation. 


Summary. The history of the Church confirmed 
the warning of Jesus that his disciples would experi- 
ence persecution. At first the persecution of the 
Church was in the hands of the Jews; later the Roman 
authorities began to persecute the Christians. There 
were two periods of especially bitter persecution, the 
first in the reign of Nero, and the second in the reign 
of Domitian. In one of these periods of bitter 
persecution the book of Revelation was written by 
the Apostle John to comfort and encourage and 
strengthen the suffering Christians. The book is 
apocalyptic and difficult to interpret, but it has had 
a message of comfort and encouragement for perse- 
cuted Christians in every age. 


QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 


1. Prepare to give a brief survey of the persecutions through 
which the Church passed in the first century. A long article 
will be found under ‘“‘Persecutions” in the ‘‘Dictionary of the 
Apostolic Church.”’ Consult also a Church history, and articles 
on “‘Persecution’’ in some dictionaries of the Bible, or in an en- 
cyclopedia, 

2. Prepare to give an account of the persecution of the 
Church under Nero or under Domitian. See references under 
“1,” and articles on “Nero” and ‘‘Domitian”’ in a Bible dictionary 
or encyclopedia. 

3. What was the purpose of the book of Revelation? See a 
Bible dictionary or a commentary on the book. 


— 207 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


4, What is meant by “apocalyptic” literature? See a dic- 
tionary or encyclopedia. 

5. Who was the author of Revelation and when was the 
book written? See references under ‘3.’ 

6. Prepare a map of the province known in the New Testa- 
ment as Asia and locate the seven churches named in the book 
of Revelation. 

7. Study the letters to the seven churches in chapters 2 and 
3 of Revelation and prepare an analysis of the seven letters in 
four parallel columns, noting: (a@) what trials are mentioned in 
connection with each church; (6) what criticism is made of each 
church; (c) what is commended in each church; and (d) what 
reward for faithfulness is promised to each church. 

8. Make a brief outline of the book of Revelation. See a 
Bible dictionary or a commentary on the book. 


THE Books oF THE NEW TESTAMENT 


The Gospel:— Romans James 
According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
According to Mark I] Corinthians iI Peter 
According to Luke Galatians I John 
According to John Ephesians II John 

The Acts : Philippians Ill John 

Colossians Jude 


I Thessalonians Revelation 
Ii Thessalonians 

I Timothy 

Ii Timothy 

Titus 

Philemon 

Hebrews 


208 


CHAPTER XXI 
THE CHURCH’S NEED OF THE GOSPELS 


Scripture Material to Be Read: Matt., chs. 1 to 33 
Mark, ch. 1; Luke, chs. 1 to 3; John, ch. 1 


The Problems. of the Chapter. What led to 
the writing of the four Gospels and why are there 
four accounts in the New Testament of the life and 
teaching of Jesus? 


The Need of the Gospels. The books of the 
New Testament which we have studied assumed that 
their readers had a knowledge of Jesus Christ. With- 
out the story of his character and life and teaching 
there would have been no story of the Church such 
as is narrated in The Acts. Likewise there would 
have been no Pauline or General Epistles. These 
books were written to people who knew of Jesus. 
Without the life and work and personality of Jesus 
there could have been no New Testament and no 
New Testament Church. 

When Peter made his address on the day of Pen- 
tecost, he talked to an audience who knew Jesus as 
a real character, as the Teacher who had been cru- 
cified and whom the apostles testified had risen again 
from the dead. When the missionaries went to places 
where the story of Jesus was not known, they told of 
Jesus and his life and teaching. Out of their personal 

209 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


experience the apostles told what Jesus had said and 
done. Others heard the apostles and repeated what 
they had heard from the lips of these eyewitnesses. 
There can be little doubt that the story of Jesus was 
repeated in much the same words wherever the 
missionaries went and churches were organized. 
But the apostles and others who had known Jesus 
personally and who had listened-to Jesus’ own words 
were passing away and there was need of preserving 
their testimony in accurate and permanent form. 
Tradition is unreliable. The person who repeats a 
story may omit something which does not appeal to 
him or emphasize something which does appeal to 
him. In this way the true proportions will be lost 
as time passes, even if the narrative is not seriously 
garbled. In the early Apostolic Church the need of 
an authoritative account of the life and teaching of 
Jesus was felt. Many undertook to write such 
accounts, but these were unsatisfactory. Perhaps 
the testimony of the apostles had been recorded, but 
these records had not been brought together into 
satisfactory documents. Luke tells us that many 
had undertaken to draw up narratives concerning 
Jesus and his teaching, but he felt constrained to 
write an account, based upon careful investigation, 
which would be authoritative. Luke 1: 1-4. 

Four accounts of the life and teaching of Jesus 
have come down to us in the New Testament. These 
are the Gospels According to Matthew, According to 
Mark, According to Luke, and According to John. 
Gospel or, in Greek, ewaggelion, means “good news.” 
These narratives are called Gospels because they tell — 

210 


THE CHURCH’S NEED OF THE GOSPELS 


the basic story of Jesus who is the Saviour proclaimed 
in the good news of salvation. We may wonder why 
there are so few accounts of the life and teaching of 
Jesus. Surely there were many, many others which 
have been lost. Evidently these four accounts were 
so superior to all others that they were generally 
recognized as authoritative and were preserved, 
while the others ceased to be copied and circulated 
and so were lost. 


The Sources of the Gospels. Only one of the 
authors of these four authoritative accounts of the 
life and teaching of Jesus has told us anything about 
his method in writing his book or the source of his 
materials. Luke informs us, ch. 1: 1-4, that the 
story of Jesus had been heard from the lips of eye- 
witnesses. He therefore drew his information from 
the testimony of those who had seen and heard Jesus. 
But in assembling and arranging his material, he had 
investigated and checked up to make sure that his 
account was accurate. Without hesitation we may 
say that the writers of the Gospels secured their 
material from records which were available, from 
persons who had been with Jesus, or they wrote out 
of their own personal knowledge of the events and 
conversations which they narrate or describe. 

Matthew, who wrote the First Gospel, was a 
disciple of Jesus, one of the twelve apostles. He was 
known also as Levi. He could tell much concerning 
Jesus from what he had himself seen and heard. 
Through his constant association with the Twelve 
he would also have heard from them much that may 

211 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


have happened or have been said when he was not 
present. Mark, who wrote the Second Gospel, was 
a comparatively young man when the Christian 
Church began. His mother was a prominent woman 
in the Church, and he was a cousin of Barnabas, the 
first missionary companion of Paul. Mark was a 
companion of Barnabas and Paul on their First 
Missionary Journey and heard the story of Jesus as 
these missionaries told it. He heard the story also 
from eyewitnesses in Jerusalem. Later he was the 
companion and “interpreter” of Peter, and heard 
again and again the vivid account of Jesus’ life and 
teaching which Peter gave as he went about preach- 
ing Jesus. Luke, who wrote the Third Gospel, 
a Gentile convert, was the missionary companion of 
Paul. He heard the story of Jesus again and again 
as that story was told by Paul and others in the syna- 
gogues and churches. There is little doubt that 
during the two years Paul was in prison in Cesarea, 
Luke improved the time by examining records, 
talking with witnesses, and gathering the materials 
and checking up on the facts for his Gospel. Paul, 
as an opponent of the believers in Jesus, knew thor- 
oughly the side of the story which the Jewish leaders 
told, so Luke would know what facts he needed to 
trace down to authoritative sources. Luke tells a 
number of incidents which are not found in the 
other Gospels. Among these are: the account of the 
Annunciation; the presentation in the Temple; 
Jesus’ boyhood in Nazareth and his visit to the Temple 
as a boy; the miraculous draft of fishes; the sending 
out of the Seventy; the parables of the Good Samar-~— 
212 


THE CHURCH’S NEED OF THE GOSPELS 


itan, the Barren Fig Tree, the Lost Sheep, the Prodigal 
Son, the Unjust Steward, Dives and Lazarus, the 
Importunate Widow, the Pharisee and the Publican, 
the Ten Pounds; and the visit at the home of Zac- 
cheeus. John, hh wrote the Fourth Gospel, was 
peculiarly fitted to write an account of the life and 
teaching of Jesus. He was one of the earliest of the 
disciples. Moreover, he was one of the three who 
were permitted to accompany Jesus where the rest 
of the disciples were not permitted to go. Out of his 
own rich experience he could write a very intimate 
story of his Lord. 


Each Gospel Had a Purpose. Similar as some 
of the Gospels are, we find differences in the narra- 
tives which indicate that they were written for 
slightly different purposes. The account of Jesus’ 
life and teaching which is found in Matthew was 
evidently intended primarily for Jewish reatlers. 
The material is arranged chronologically only in 
general outline; the author’s primary aim was to 
arrange the material topically. Matthew gives large 
place to the discourses of Jesus. The Gospel aims 
to present Jesus as the royal Messiah, and again and 
again the fulfillment of prophecy by Jesus is pointed 
out. In Matthew’s Gospel there are about a hundred 
more or less formal quotations from the Old Testa- 
ment Scriptures. 

Mark, the shortest of the Gospels, and the most 
vivid, is a Gospel of action. This Gospel seems more 
chronological than either Matthew or Luke. There 
is little doubt that it was intended for Roman readers, 


213 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


“and is especially adapted to their mind, so easily 
impressed by exhibitions of energy and power.” 
This Gospel has several Latin terms and uses Roman 
names of coins instead of the Greek names. For 
example, see ch. 12: 42. 

Luke’s Gospel was written primarily for Theophilus, 
a Gentile Christian, ch. 1: 8. The narrative of the 
Gospel was followed by the story of The Acts, ad- 
dressed to the same Theophilus. Compare Acts 1: 1. 
It has been suggested that Luke’s minute description 
of places in Palestine indicates that Theophilus did 
not live in that country, while the mention of small 
places in Italy as familiarly known, Acts 27: 6-16, 
makes it probable that his home was at Rome. The 
Gospel was designed mainly for Gentile readers. 
Words which Jews would understand readily are ex- 
plained for Gentile readers. Hebrew names are 
translated. In Luke 6:15 we find ‘Simon who was 
called the Zealot,’? while Matthew, ch. 10: 4, says, 
“Simon the Cananean.”’ In ch. 23: 33, Luke says, 
“They came unto the place which is called The 
skull,’ while Matthew, ch. 27: 33, uses the Hebrew 
word, “‘Golgotha, that is to say, The place of a skull.” 
Luke sought to provide the information and testi- 
mony concerning Jesus which would lead Gentiles to 
believe in Jesus with assurance. 

John wrote his Gospel that those who read his 
narrative might believe that “Jesus is the Christ, 
the Son of God,” and believing might have “life in 
his name.” Ch. 20: 31. His Gospel is an argument 
from the life and teaching and character of Jesus for 
the Deity of Jesus. 

214 


THE CHURCH’S NEED OF THE GOSPELS 


The Synoptic Gospels. Even a hasty exam- 
ination of the four Gospels will show that three of 
them are much alike, while the fourth is strikingly 
different. Matthew, Mark, and Luke narrate largely 
the same events. They have largely a common 
outline and often use much the same language. For 
this reason these three Gospels have been called the 
Synoptic Gospels. The name “synoptic” comes from 
the Greek word sunopsis which means “a seeing 
together,” and is used because these three Gospels 
give the same view of Jesus. They take for their 
chief theme the Galilean ministry of Jesus. 

An explanation has been sought of the similarity 

of the material and language in the Synoptic Gospels. 
Some have tried to explain the similarity by saying 
that one Gospel borrowed from another. But the 
difficulty with this explanation is that Mark, which is 
the shortest, is not a shortened Luke or Matthew, for 
Mark in describing an event or scene includes details 
not mentioned by the others. Davis suggests: “It 
seems to be more probable that all three were in- 
dependent, but used largely the language of the 
gospel narrative which had become current; while 
at the same time they felt free to use their own words 
because they were conscious of being fully acquainted 
with the facts.” In addition to the oral tradition 
of the Church there were written records of the life 
and teaching of Jesus current in the Church. Luke 
Lee}—4: 


The Gospel According to John. John’s Gospel 
tells of the Judean ministry of Jesus, which is omitted 
215 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


in the Synoptic narratives, and its material is ar- 
ranged to carry out its purpose of revealing Jesus as 
the Son of God. But John assumed that his readers 
knew what is told about Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels. 
John’s Gospel is not a substitute for the three earlier 
Gospels, but is a supplement to these Gospels and in 
a sense an interpretation of them. 


The Date of the Gospels. There is a divergence 
of views concerning the time when the Gospels were 
written. There is little doubt that the Synoptic 
Gospels were written before the fall of Jerusalem, 
that is, before a.p. 70. Matthew B. Riddle suggests 
this interesting statement: “If a definite theory is 
necessary, it may be surmised that Luke wrote 
during the first imprisonment of Paul (4.p. 61-62), 
that Mark penned his Gospel immediately after 
Paul’s temporary release, while Matthew prepared 
the Greek copy of his narrative about the same time, 
to meet the wants of Greek-speaking Christians.’’ 
John’s Gospel was the latest, and was written toward 
the end of the first century. 


Summary. The disciples who went about preach- 
ing the gospel told the story of Jesus’ life and char- 
acter and teaching. They preached Jesus. As 
personal witnesses, or as those who had received the 
gospel from witnesses who had been with Jesus and 
learned of him, they told the story of their Lord 
and Saviour. As time elapsed and the eyewitnesses 
of these things were passing away, the importance of 
putting this testimony concerning Jesus into perma- 

216 < 


THE CHURCH’S NEED OF THE GOSPELS 


nent and authoritative form was recognized, and this 
testimony of the apostles and eyewitnesses was 
recorded in the Gospels to be preserved for future 
generations. Each Gospel was written for its own 
special purpose, drawing from the common or current 
testimony concerning Jesus, but shaped by its own 
purpose and supplemented from its own sources. 
Three of these narratives or Gospels have so much in 
common that they are known as the Synoptic Gospels, 
and are thus distinguished from John’s Gospel, which 
is unique. These four Gospels have preserved for 
the Church through the centuries the testimony 
concerning the kind of man Jesus was, the kind of 
deeds he did, and what he taught. 


QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 


. Why would the Christian Church need a written record of 
the life and teaching of Jesus? 


2. What written records of Jesus’ life and teaching have been 
preserved in the New Testament? 


3. From what sources did the writers of these New Testament 
books draw their materials? See the article in a Bible dictionary 
on “The Gospels,” or study the introduction to one of the Gospels 
in a commentary. 

4. State the purpose of each of the four Gospels. See the 


article on the “Gospels” in a Bible dictionary, or articles on the 
separate Gospels, or consult a commentary. 

5. Which are the Synoptic Gospels and why are they so 
called? 

6. Find a passage describing an event or incident which is 
common to two or more of the Synoptic Gospels, and note each 
variation in the language in the different accounts. 

7. By means of a harmony of the Gospels note the events 
described in John’s Gospel which are not mentioned in the 
Synoptic Gospels. 

217 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


Tue Books or THE New TESTAMENT 


The Gospel:— 
According to Matthew 
According to Mark 
According to Luke 
According to John 

The Acts 


Romans 

I Corinthians 
II Corinthians 
Galatians 
Ephesians 
Philippians 
Colossians 

I Thessalonians 
II Thessalonians 
I Timothy 

II Timothy 
Titus 
Philemon 
Hebrews 


218 


James 

I Peter 

II Peter 

I John 

II John 
IiI John 
Jude 
Revelation 


CHAPTER XXII 
THE SYNOPTIC STORY OF JESUS 


Scripture Material to Be Read: Matt., chs. 1 to 4: 
Luke, chs. 1 to 4; 10; 15: 16; The Gospel 
According to Mark 


The Problem of the Chapter. Without attempt- 
ing to arrange the events in exact chronological 
order, and without trying to make a harmony of the 
three Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, 
what is, in brief, the story of Jesus which is told in 
our three Synoptic Gospels? 


The Birth and Boyhood of Jesus. Both 
Matthew and Luke give the genealogy of Jesus. 
Matthew traces Jesus’ ancestry back to Abraham 
through David, because he was concerned about 
Jesus’ being the son of David, and so the promised 
King or Messiah, and about his being the son of 
Abraham because he was the seed of Abraham accord- 
ing to the covenant promise. Luke, on the other 
hand, traces Jesus’ ancestry back to David, Abraham, 
and Adam. These genealogies are different at many 
points. We cannot here take up the problem of the 
variations between the names in the two lists. 
Matthew’s genealogy is that of royal succession, 
about which he was concerned. The suggestion has 
been made that the genealogy in Luke is that of 

219 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


Mary, the daughter of Heli, while that of Matthew 
is the genealogy of Joseph. Thus Jesus was both 
legal and actual ‘‘son of David’’ and son of Abraham. 

The Gospels teach plainly the supernatural char- 
acter of Jesus’ birth and mission. The forerunner of 
Jesus, John the Baptist, was a child of promise 
especially sent to prepare the way for him. Luke 1: 
5-25. That Mary was to be the mother of the 
Saviour was announced to her, Luke 1: 26-88, and 
also to Joseph, who was to protect Mary until her 
child was born and to be the foster father of her son, 
Matt. 1: 18-25. 

While Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem, where 
they had gone for the enrollment commanded by 
Cesar Augustus, Jesus was born. His birth was 
supernaturally announced by an angel to shepherds 
who were watching in the field, and they came and 
worshiped him. Wise Men in the East saw a star 
that told them of his birth and came from afar to 
lay their gifts at his feet. When Herod the king 
sought to destroy this heir to the throne of Israel, 
Joseph, warned by an angel, sought refuge for his 
wife and her child in Egypt, where they remained 
until after Herod’s death. Instead of returning to 
Bethlehem, Joseph and his family went back to their 
home in Nazareth, where Jesus grew up. 

Only Luke tells us anything of Jesus’ boyhood, 
and what he tells is brief. Jesus was brought up as 
a child in a godly Jewish home. At the age of 
twelve he accompanied Mary and Joseph to Jerusa- 
lem for the celebration of the feast of the passover. 
While there Jesus indicated his recognition of his 

220 


THE SYNOPTIC STORY OF JESUS 


Father in heaven and a consciousness of a life mission. 
But this sense of relationship to God did not interfere 
with his return to Nazareth as an obedient son in 
the home. Through the successive years of youth 
Jesus developed physically, intellectually, socially, 
and spiritually. Luke 2: 40-52. 


Jesus’ Baptism and Temptation. The Gospels 
tell us nothing further of the eighteen years which 
followed the visit to the Temple at the age of twelve. 
We next find him, at the age of thirty, presenting 
himself for baptism at the hands of John, who was 
his forerunner. His baptism expressed his purpose 
“to fulfil all righteousness,”’ and marked his entrance 
upon his public ministry as the Messiah and Saviour. 
His baptism, or dedication to service, was followed 
by the testing in the wilderness in which he showed his 
unwavering purpose, his clearness of vision, and his 
absolute devotion to the mission the Father had 
given him. 

The entire story of Jesus up to this point is passed 
over in silence in the Gospel by John, clearly indicating 
that John thought it unnecessary to repeat this part 
of the story which had already been recorded and 
which was known to all Christians. But at this 
point we find also that the Synoptic Gospels pass over 
a portion of Jesus’ life and ministry which John 
describes. This is Jesus’ early Judean ministry 
which covered nearly a year. 


The Galilean Ministry of Jesus. When John 
the Baptist was put into prison by Herod the tetrarch, 
221 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


Jesus left Judea and went into Galilee. Matt. 4: 12; 
Mark, 1: 14; Luke 3: 19, 20; 4:14. He was rejected at 
Nazareth and went to Capernaum, which he made his 
home. Here he called his disciples who were to be 
his companions, listening to his teaching, learning to 
know his character, studying his example, in pre- 
paration for their work as witnesses and heralds of 
the gospel. 

Jesus became known as the great Miracle Worker. 
He healed the sick, thus showing his power over 
disease. He even cleansed the leper, who suffered 
from the most hopeless disease of his day. He not 
only healed the sick who were brought to him, but 
he spoke the word which at a distance brought 
restoration to health. His authority over nature was 
shown by his stilling the storm; his power over evil 
spirits, by casting out demons; and his power even 
over death, by the restoration of the son of the 
woman at Nain and the raising of the daughter of 
Jairus. His mighty works led his disciples to say, 
“What manner of man is this, that even the winds 
and the sea obey hm?” The multitudes marveled, 
saying, “It was never so seen in Israel.”” The people 
flocked after him in such multitudes that he was 
thronged by them. He could not come near a village 
without word of his arrival being spread abroad and 
a great multitude assembling. 

Jesus was also known as the Teacher. Matthew’s 
account of the Sermon on the Mount, chs. 5; 6; 7, 
gives us a comprehensive view of Jesus’ teaching. 
Here we find the wonderful statement of spiritual 
truth in the Beatitudes, the analogies of the salt and ~— 

222 


THE SYNOPTIC STORY OF JESUS 


the light; the application of the Commandments to 
motives and feelings, the call to sincerity and sim- 
plicity, the substitution of forbearance and forgive- 
ness and generosity for the law of retaliation of the 
fathers, an argument for God’s care for men on the 
ground that God cares even for the birds and flowers, 
the call to disciples to put first things first—the body 
before raiment, the soul before the body, the Kingdom 
of God before material possessions and worldly 
honor, the demand for works: that express righteous- 
ness of heart, insistence upon conduct rather than 
upon profession, and exposure of the folly of hearing 
without doing. The multitudes were amazed at his 
teaching, “for he taught them as one having authority, 
and not as their scribes.” 


The Opposition to Jesus and the Training of 
the Twelve. Beneath the tide of Jesus’ wonderful 
popularity as Healer and Teacher, there was an under- 
current of opposition. This is brought out in the 
Synoptic Gospels, but Mark develops it with the 
greatest clearness and directness, chs. 2 OME LO 
meet the opposition organized against him, Jesus 
began the training of the Twelve, who were to carry 
on his work after his death and resurrection. While 
he still taught the people, his chief work was the 
training of the Twelve, whom he not only taught 
but also sent out on practice missions, so that under 
his direction they might have that experience which 
would fit them for their work after his departure. 

The feeding of the five thousand, recorded in all 
the Gospels, marks the turning of the tide in the 

223 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


popularity of Jesus. The multitudes began to leave 
him because he would not satisfy their material ideas 
concerning his Kingdom. ‘The censoriousness of 
Jesus’ enemies and their eagerness to find in his 
teaching the ground for accusing him, led him to use 
parables in his teaching so that only the disciples 
who were ready for the truth would really understand 
what he meant. Thus he taught with a special view 
to the training of the Twelve and to avoiding un- 
necessary friction with his opponents. 

Growing opposition and the fickleness of the mul- 
titudes led Jesus to withdraw from time to time from 
the region which had been the chief scene of his 
ministry. He went to the borders of Tyre and Sidon 
where he healed the daughter of the Syrophoenician 
woman because of her faith. He visited the region 
of Decapolis, that district beyond the Jordan in 
which was to be found Greek culture, for these cities 
had been founded by followers of Alexander the 
Great. Here Jesus wrought many miracles of 
healing, and taught. 

Through their association with Jesus, the discipies 
were gradually led to a clear realization of the great- 
ness of their Master. Amidst the discussion and 
debate and difference of opinion concerning Jesus, 
the disciples, through Peter as their spokesman, 
confessed, ‘Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living 
God.” Matt. 16: 16. 


The Shadow of the Cross. When the disciples 
were led to declare their faith in Jesus as the Messiah, 
Jesus began to break to them the disconcerting news” 

224 


THE SYNOPTIC STORY OF JESUS 


that he was to be rejected by the nation, arrested and 
brought to trial by the Jewish leaders, and put to 
death. His ministry was carried on under the shadow 
of the cross. Both Jesus and his disciples had need 
of light in the shadow. Peter and James and John 
were permitted to behold the glory of Jesus on the 
Mount of Transfiguration, while Jesus talked with 
Moses and Elijah concerning his approaching suffer- 
ing and death. 

The plain teaching of Jesus concerning his suffering 
and death did not impress his disciples as it should 
have; they were still thinking of an earthly kingdom 
and were quarreling among themselves concerning 
their relative positions in the Kingdom. Jesus there- 
fore not only taught the truth they needed to know as 
the basis for their message later but also sought to de- 
velop in his disciples those attitudes and motives and 
ideals and standards of conduct which would make 
them truly his representatives in the world. 


In Perea. Jesus knew that the end was drawing 
near. He made his final departure from Galilee and 
set his face toward Jerusalem. Luke 9: 51. His 
journey led by way of the region beyond Jordan and 
south of Decapolis, which is known as Perea, and this 
period of Jesus’ life is often called his Perean ministry. 
In Perea he taught the parables of the Great Supper, 
the Lost Sheep, the Lost Piece of Silver, the Prodigal 
Son, the Unjust Steward, the Pharisee and the 
Publican. Here he blessed the little children and 
talked with the rich young ruler. Ag he approached 
Jerusalem he talked with his disciples again about 

225 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


his suffering and death, although they could not and 
would not understand. He passed through the city 
of Jericho, where he was the guest of Zaccheus, and 
near which he healed the blind men. 


The Last Week. Jesus came to Bethany, which 
he made his headquarters during the week of his 
death. Great crowds had followed him as he drew 
near to Jerusalem, and on Sunday he rode into the 
city as King, the multitudes shouting their hosannas. 
On Monday he showed his authority by cleansing 
the Temple. Tuesday was spent in conflict with the 
Jewish leaders and in the instruction of his disciples. 
Then he taught the great parables of the Ten Virgins, 
the Talents, and the Last Judgment. While the 
Jewish leaders were desperately seeking a way to 
arrest and condemn Jesus to death, he spent Wednes- 
day in retirement in Bethany. On Thursday evening 
he kept the passover with his disciples, in connection 
with which he established the Lord’s Supper. Then 
he retired with the Eleven to the Garden of Geth- 
semane, where he went through that terrible struggle 
which involved sorrow beyond description. In the 
night Judas led Jesus’ enemies to the Garden, where 
Jesus voluntarily gave himself up, for his hour had 
come. His arrest and trial followed. He was con- 
demned by the Jewish sanhedrin, handed over to the 
soldiers by Pontius Pilate, led forth to Calvary, and 
crucified. 


His Resurrection and Ascension. In spite of 
all that Jesus had said, the disciples seemed unpre- 
226 


THE SYNOPTIC STORY OF JESUS 


pared for the terrible disappointment of his death. 
With him their hopes were buried; their great ex- 
pectations seemed now like idle dreams. The sorrow 
of the disciples, however, did not last long. After a 
day spent in hopeless melancholy, on the third day 
word came that the tomb of Jesus was empty. Jesus 
had arisen from the dead as he had told the disciples. 
He appeared from time to time to a few, to the 
Twelve, or to larger groups, until he had given con- 
vincing evidence of the reality of his resurrection. 

At the time of his appearance to a multitude of 
disciples in Galilee he gave them the Great Com- 
mission, Matt. 28: 16-20; Mark 16: 15-18, which 
has been called the “marching orders of the Church,” 
Luke’s conclusion to his Gospel brings the Synoptic 
story to an end: “And he led them out until they 
were over against Bethany: and he lifted up his 
hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, 
while he blessed them, he parted from them, and was 
carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, 
and returned to Jerusalem with great Joy: and were 
continually in the temple, blessing God.” Luke 
24: 50-53. 


Summary. According to the Synoptic Gospels, 
Jesus was a supernatural son of Mary, and the foster 
son of Joseph, of the royal and covenant line of Israel. 
He was brought up as a boy in Nazareth. At the 
age of thirty he began his public ministry with his 
baptism and temptation. He became & popular 
teacher who impressed the people by his miracles. 
When the tide of popularity turned he gave his 

227 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


attention primarily to the training of the Twelve, 
whom he prepared to carry on his work after his 
departure. He foretold his suffering and death and 
bravely went to Jerusalem where he knew the cross 
awaited him. There he was arrested, condemned, 
and crucified. He rose the third day, proved the 
reality of his resurrection to his disciples, gave them 
the Great Commission, and ascended into heaven, 
leaving his work in the world to be carried on by his 

disciples under his direction through the Holy Spirit. 


QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 


1. Which of the Synoptic Gospels tell of Jesus’ birth? Find 
out by examining the Gospels themselves. 


2. Name the supernatural elements in the Synoptic story of 
Jesus’ birth. Base your statement upon the records of the 
Synoptic Gospels. 


3. Which Gospel tells of Jesus’ boyhood? Find the answer 
by examining the Synoptic Gospels themselves. What attitude 
toward God on the part of Jesus is shown in the account of his 
boyhood? Consult a life of Christ or a commentary for an inter- 
pretation of the passage. 


4, What important period of Jesus’ early ministry is not 
mentioned in the Synoptic Gospels? Consult a harmony of the 
Gospels, the outline harmony in Andrews’ “The Life of Our 
Lord,” or ‘“‘A Harmony of the Gospels,” by Stevens and Burton. 


5. Prepare a brief statement concerning Jesus the Teacher as 
he is presented in the Synoptic Gospels. 


6. Prepare a brief story of Jesus the Worker of Miracles as 
his story is told in the Synoptic Gospels. 


7. What was the effect of the waning of Jesus’ popularity 
upon his ministry? 

8. What would you say was Jesus’ greatest achievement as a 
teacher? Tell why. 


9. From a harmony of the Gospels, tell the important events 
in the last week of Jesus’ ministry as narrated in the Synoptic 
Gospels, 


228 


THE SYNOPTIC STORY OF JESUS 


10. Make a list of the appearances of the risen Jesus recorded 
in the Synoptic Gospels. See a harmony of the Gospels. 


11. What is the Great Commission and where is it found? 


12. Compare the number of chapters in the Synoptic Gospels 
given to the last week of Jesus’ ministry with the total number 
of chapters in the Synoptic Gospels. What conclusion do you 
draw from these figures concerning the importance of the suffering 
and death of Jesus in the minds of the writers of the Gospels? 


Tue Booxs or tos New TESTAMENT 


The Gospel:— Romans James 
According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
According to Mark II Corinthians II Peter 
According to Luke Galatians I John 
According to John Ephesians II John 
The Acts Philippians III John 
Colossians Jude 


I Thessalonians Revelation 
II Thessalonians 

I Timothy 

II Timothy 

Titus 

Philemon 

Hebrews 


229 


CHAPTER XXIII 
THE TESTIMONY OF JOHN’S GOSPEL 


Scripture Material to Be Read: The Gospel 
According to John 


The Problem of the Chapter. What is the 
testimony of John’s Gospel concerning Jesus? 


A Testimony. John’s Gospel is well called a 
testimony to Christ, for the Gospel was written to 
bear witness to Jesus as the Son of God. This fact 
will be impressed upon any student who will read 
the Gospel through at one sitting. After reading 
the story of Jesus as recorded in the Synoptic Gospels, 
the testimony of John makes a deep impression. 
This Gospel explains the significance of much which 
is merely narrated in the other Gospels. The Fourth 
Gospel is an interpretation. John seems to go back 
over the life of Jesus as he remembers his Lord’s 
earthly ministry and summons witness after witness to 
tell the impression which Jesus made upon them. 
It is this testimony which we are to consider in this 
Gospel. 


The Prologue. Chapter 1: 1-18 is usually called 
the prologue to John’s Gospel. The other Gospels 
begin with the annunciation or the birth or the 
beginning of Jesus’ ministry, but John goes back to — 

230 


THE TESTIMONY OF JOHN’S GOSPEL 


eternity. “In the beginning was the Word,” or in 
the Greek the logos. This word has been used by 
Greek philosophers in special senses, but it will be 
sufficient here to say that by the logos or Word, 
John means the Son of God before the incarnation. 
The Word was divine, for ‘the Word was God.” 
The Word was Creator, Life, and Light, and this 
eternal Word, which “was in the beginning with 
God” and was God, became flesh and dwelt among 
men. ‘Those who had eyes to see beheld his divine 
glory, but others disbelieved and rejected him. To 
those who received him he offered eternal life and 
divine sonship. He is the Revealer of God. This 
eternal Son of God is the Jesus who was introduced 
to the world by John the Baptist. 

Thus the Gospel according to John assumes the 
story of the incarnation which is told in the Gospels 
by Matthew and Luke, the story of how the Word 
became flesh and dwelt among men. 


The Testimony of John the Baptist. The 
first witness to Jesus which John summons is John 
the Baptist, who was the God-appointed forerunner 
of Jesus. John 1: 19-85. Read also ch. 3: 22-30. 
All classes of Jews recognized John as one of the 
greatest of the prophets, but John declared that he 
was only a voice announcing the coming of the 
Christ; compared with Jesus, he was the lowest of 
servants, unworthy to loose the strings of Jesus’ 
sandals. He bore witness that he knew that Jesus 
was the Christ and the Son of God because he had 
seen the Spirit of God descend upon him. He also 

231 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


pointed Jesus out to some of his disciples as the 
Lamb of God who was to take away the sins of the 
world. 


The Testimony of the First Disciples. John 
pointed two of his disciples to Jesus. One of these 
was Andrew, and supposedly the other was John, the 
writer of the Gospel. An evening’s association with 
Jesus convinced them that he was the Christ, and 
Andrew found his brother Simon and brought him to 
the Messiah. John 1: 35-42. Nathanael, another 
disciple, was led to confess his faith in Jesus as the 
Christ, the Son of God. Ch. 1: 48-51. At Cana of 
Galilee Jesus wrought the miracle of turning the water 
into wine, and as a result, “‘his disciples believed on 
hing yea Ghee ae 1y 


The Testimony of Jesus’ Authority and 
Knowledge. John’s Gospel testifies that Jesus him- 
self claimed divine authority and possessed a knowl- 
edge which was superhuman. He assumed authority 
in the Temple and drove out those who desecrated 
it by turning the house of God into a house of mer- 
chancise. And he did not hesitate to call the Temple 
“my Father’s house.” Ch. 2: 13-17. He also 
claimed to be the incarnation of God, by referring to 
his body as the Temple of God, foretelling his death 
as a destruction of God’s Temple, and his resurrection 
as the rebuilding of the Temple. Ch. 2: 18-23. His 
knowledge of the human heart was revealed in his 
not trusting himself to the people who professed to 
believe in him, for ‘‘he knew all men” and ‘‘needed~ 

232 


THE TESTIMONY OF JOHN’S GOSPEL 


not that any one should bear witness concerning 
man; for he himself knew what was in man.” 


The Testimony of Nicodemus. John next 
summons Nicodemus as a witness. This prominent 
Pharisee declared that Jesus must be a teacher who 
had come from God. John 3:1, 2. In connection 
with the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, 
John tells of Jesus’ teaching concerning himself, that 
Jesus was the only begotten Son of God, God’s 
gift to a lost world for the salvation of all those who 
would believe on him. In his conversation with 
Nicodemus, Jesus declared his authority as a teacher 
on the ground that he bore witness of heavenly 
things, which he had seen, and that he had° come 
down from heaven and was going back to heaven. 
John therefore declares that in Jesus is to be found 
eternal life. ‘“‘He that believeth on the Son 
hath eternal life; but he that obeyeth not the 
Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth 
on him.” | 


The Testimony of the Samaritans. Next John 
tells of Jesus’ journey to Galilee through Samaria and 
his interview with the woman by Jacob’s well. She 
was convinced that he was the Christ, and many in 
Samaria believed, not only because of her word, but 
because they had heard for themselves. In this 
conversation with the woman Jesus declared that he 
was the source of the spiritual life: ‘“‘Whosoever 
drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall 
never thirst.”’ Ch. 4: 1-42. 

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THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


The Testimony of Jesus’ Mighty Works. Next 
John tells of some of these mighty works which bore 
witness to the character and mission of Jesus. He 
tells of the healing of the nobleman’s son in Ca- 
pernaum by the mere word spoken in Cana. This 
father and his family became believers in Jesus. 
Ch. 4: 46-54. 

In Jerusalem by the pool of Bethesda Jesus healed 
the man who had been helpless for thirty-eight years. 
Ch: 5: 1-9. When this miracle of healing led to an 
encounter with the Jewish teachers Jesus appealed 
to his mighty works as evidence of his divine nature 
and authority. Ch. 5: 10-47. 

Another mighty work was the feeding of the five 
thousand, the miracle which is recorded by all four 
Gospels. ‘‘When therefore the people saw the sign 
which he did, they said, This is of a truth the prophet 
that cometh into the world,’ and they wanted to 
make him their king. Ch. 6: 1-15. But the next 
day it was evident that the faith in Jesus which 
resulted from this miracle was not a real conviction 
concerning Jesus and his mission. A conversation 
followed in which Jesus declared that he was ‘‘the 
bread of life.”” He had come down from heaven as 
living manna. 


Varying Opinions. This teaching about him- 
self as the “‘bread of life’? drew more clearly the line 
of division between those who truly believed in Jesus 
and those who disbelieved. His followers began to 
desert him until he turned to the Twelve and said, 
“Would ye also go away?” Peter, speaking for the 

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THE TESTIMONY OF JOHN’S GOSPEL 


Twelve, as he so often did, gave their testimony 
concerning Jesus: ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? 
thou hast the words of eternal life. And we have 
believed and know that thou art the Holy One of 
God.”’ Ch. 6: 66-69. 

The unbelief and opposition in Judea was so great 
that Jesus avoided that region, for they sought to 
kill him. Even his own brothers did not believe in 
him. Ch. 7: 5. Thus John brings out the conflict 
between faith and unbelief which was characteristic 
of Jesus’ ministry. 


Jesus’ Testimony to Himself. In connection 
with the testimony of his witnesses, John throughout 
his Gospel gives the testimony of Jesus to himself.’ 
In the seventh and eighth chapters of his Gospel 
particularly, John records the testimony of Jesus 
concerning himself. Jesus declared, ‘“My teaching is 
not mine, but his that sent me.” Ch. 7:16. “Jesus 
therefore cried in the temple, teaching and saying, 
Ye both know me, and know whence I am; and J 
am not come of myself, but he that sent me is 
true, whom ye know not.” Ch. 7: 28. He came 
from God to give God’s message to the world, 
and something about Jesus revealed his authority. 
When officers were sent to arrest him, they came 
back empty-handed. They could not lay hands on 
him for ‘‘never man so spake.” Ch. 7: 32-46. 
Jesus taught that he was the Water of Life. Ch. 7: 
37. He called himself the Light of the World. Ch. 
8-12, 

Jesus’ testimony to himself was rejected by the 

235 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


Pharisees, ch. 8: 13, but in support of his own testi- 
mony to himself, Jesus claimed oneness with the 
Father: ‘TI am not alone, but I and the Father that 
sent me,” ch. 8:16. ‘‘When ye have lifted up the 
Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and 
that I do nothing of myself, but as the Father taught 
me, I speak these things.” Ch. 8: 28. In the dis- 
cussion which followed Jesus made one of the greatest 
statements concerning himself: “‘ Your father Abraham 
rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad. 
The Jews therefore said unto him, Thou art not yet 
fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus 
said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, 
Before Abraham was born, I am.”’ Ch. 8: 56-58. 


_ The Testimony of the Man Born Blind. The 
ninth chapter of John tells the story of the man who 
was born blind and to whom Jesus gave sight. To 
the blind man who had the courage to stand up for 
Jesus even though he was for this deprived of all 
his rights as a Jew, Jesus made himself known as 
“the Son of God,” ch. 9: 35. 


Jesus the Good Shepherd. Looking forward to 
his death, Jesus taught that he was the Good Shep- 
herd, who would voluntarily lay down his life for the 
sheep. Ch. 10. ‘‘Therefore doth the Father love 
me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it 
again. No one taketh it away from me, but I lay 
it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and 
I have power to take it again.” He claimed the 
power to give eternal life to those who believed in 

236 


THE TESTIMONY OF JOHN’S GOSPEL 


him, v. 28, and announced, “I and the Father are 
one,’ v. 30. That the Jews understood that he 
claimed to be divine is clear, because they took up 
stones to kill him for blasphemy. Then Jesus 
appealed to his works as evidence for his claims. 


Jesus the Resurrection and the Life. Again 
John combines the testimony of Jesus’ works and 
Jesus’ words concerning himself. Answering the 
call of Mary and Martha, Jesus went to Bethany, 
ch. 11, and raised Lazarus from the dead. This 
mighty work bore witness to Jesus, for at the grave 
Jesus prayed: ‘‘Father, I thank thee that thou 
heardest me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: 
but because of the multitude that standeth around I 
said it, that they may believe that thou didst send 
me.” But in connection with this incident Jesus 
bore testimony to himself by declaring to Martha, 
“T am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth 
on me, though he die, yet shall he live; and whosoever 
liveth and believeth on me shall never die.” 


Jesus’ Approach to Death. Jesus withdrew to 
a retreat, ch. 11: 54, but he was not avoiding the 
issue, for when the time of the passover came, he 
went up to Jerusalem, although he knew that his 
life was being sought. He made Bethany his head- 
quarters and there was anointed in preparation for 
his death. Ch. 12: 1-8. On Sunday he entered the 
city amidst the hosannas of the people. In spite of 
the acclaim of the multitudes and the interest shown 
in him by Greeks who had come to Jerusalem, Jesus 

237 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


proclaimed his coming death as the Saviour, and the 
voice of God was heard, bearing the witness of the 
Father to Jesus, ch. 12: 28-30. 

When Jesus celebrated the feast of the passover 
with his disciples, he knew that his hour had come. 
Ch. 13: 1. Although he was their Lord, he took 
the place of a servant and washed his disciples’ feet. 
Then in great sorrow of heart he announced the 
betrayer, and spoke of his coming death. After this 
he uttered the wonderful teaching of the fourteenth, 
fifteenth, and sixteenth chapters of John and offered 
the prayer of the seventeenth chapter. Then he 
made his way to Gethsemane with the Eleven where 
he gave himself over to his enemies and was led 
away to trial. John quotes the testimony of Pilate 
who, after examining Jesus, declared, “‘I find no crime 
ins him’ ae Ch ais: 


The Death of Jesus. After being scourged, 
Jesus was led to Calvary where he was crucified. 
John describes Jesus’ death as an eyewitness. Ch. 
19: 25-27. His actual death was testified to by the 
soldiers, and his body was cared for by Joseph of 
Arimathzea and Nicodemus and was laid in the tomb. 


The Living Christ. John gives the testimony of 
many to the resurrection of Jesus: Mary Magdalene, 
Simon Peter, John himself, and the disciples. The 
testimony of doubting Thomas is cited as of special 
value. Ch. 20: 24-29. And John adds that Jesus 
did many other signs in the presence of his disciples _ 
which he does not mention. 

238 


THE TESTIMONY OF JOHN’S GOSPEL 


The last chapter of John’s Gospel tells of Jesus’ 
appearance to some of the disciples by the Sea of 
Galilee, when Jesus restored Peter to his place because 
of his threefold profession of his love. John reports 
Jesus’ foretelling the death of Peter and corrects a 
misimpression, that Jesus had intimated that John 
was to live until the return of Jesus. 

Thus John, omitting the story of the ascension 
which is told in the other Gospels and in The Acts, 
leaves us in the presence of the living Christ speaking 
of his return to the world. And the Gospel ends 
with the attestation that John’s testimony is true. 
Ch, 21; 24, 


Summary. John’s Gospel was written as a testi- 
mony, to show that Jesus is the Son of God and the 
Saviour. John summons as his witnesses John the 
Baptist, the first disciples, Nicodemus, the Samaritans, 
the man who was born blind, the multitudes, and even 
Jesus’ enemies. He appeals also to Jesus’ mighty 
works and Jesus’ testimony concerning himself. He 
presents Jesus as the Lamb of God who died on the 
cross, rose again, and is the living Lord and Saviour, 
sustaining a vital relationship to the believer now, 
and waiting to welcome the believers to be with him 
forever in the Father’s house. 


QUESTIONS FoR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 


1, What is the prologue of John’s Gospel, and what does it 
say about Jesus? Read the prologue, and consult a commentary 
and a dictionary of the Bible. 


2. What does John mean by the “Word”? 
239 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


3. Go through the Gospel of John and make a list of the wit- 
nesses whose testimony concerning Jesus he quotes. 


4. Go through the Gospel of John and collect instances of 
Jesus’ testimony to himself. 

5. How does John’s Gospel bear witness to the actual death 
of Jesus? 


6.. How does the Gospel of John bear witness to the resurrec- 
tion of Jesus? 


7. What is the last view of Jesus which is given in John’s 
Gospel? 


8. What is the Gospel’s own statement concerning its purpose 
and where is this statement found? 


THE Books oF THE NEw TESTAMENT 


The Gospel :— Romans James 
According to Matthew _ I Corinthians I Peter 
According to Mark II Corinthians II Peter 
According to Luke Galatians _ [John 
According to John Ephesians II John 

The Acts Philippians III John 

Colossians Jude 


I Thessalonians Revelation 
II Thessalonians 

I Timothy 

II Timothy 

Titus 

Philemon 

Hebrews 


CHAPTER XXIV 
THE CHRIST OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 


Scripture Material to Be Read: John 1: Let S Loe 
1-8; I Cor. 15: 1-58; Eph. 1: 15-23; Phil. 2: 1-11; 
Col. 1: 9-23 


The Problem of the Chapter. We have con- 
sidered various books and groups of books of the 
New Testament. We have found that Jesus is the 
heart of all these books. The Gospels give the 
Church’s testimony concerning Jesus. The Acts 
describes clearly the development of the Church as it 
carried on its work of telling men the story of Jesus 
and the way of salvation through faith in him. The 
Epistles give us the teaching of the Apostolic Church 
_ concerning Jesus and the Christian way of life. But 
what view of Jesus does the New Testament as a 
whole give us? Who and what is the Jesus of the 
New Testament? This is the question which we are 
to consider in this chapter. 


The Preexistent Son of God. According to the 
New Testament, the story of Jesus does not begin with 
his birth in Bethlehem. John begins his testimony to 
Jesus with the statement: “In the beginning was the 
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word 
was God. The same was in the beginning with God. 
All things were made through him; and without him 

241 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


was not anything made that hath been made. In 
him was life; and the life was the light of men. And 
the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness 
apprehended it not.”? John 1: 1-5. Paul says that 
Christ Jesus ‘‘existing in the form of God, counted 
not the being on an equality with God a thing to 
be grasped.” Phil. 2:6. In his discussion with the 
Jewish leaders Jesus himself said, ‘‘Verily, verily, I 
say unto you, Before Abraham was born, I am.” 
John 8: 58. Jesus “‘is the.image of God.’’ II Cor. 
4: 4. He “is the image of the invisible God, the 
firstborn of all creation; for in him were all things 
created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things 
visible and things invisible, whether thrones or 
dominions or principalities or powers; all things have 
been created through him, and unto him; and he is 
before all things, and in him all things consist.” 
Col. 1: 15-17. The Epistle to the Hebrews presents 
the eternal Christ “the same yesterday and to-day, 
yea and for ever.”” Ch. 13: 8. 


The Incarnation. The eternal Son of God, the 
Word who “‘was in the beginning with God,” ‘‘became 
flesh, and dwelt among us,” John 1:14. He “who 
existing in the form of God, counted not the being on 
an equality with God a thing to be grasped, but 
emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being 
made in the likeness of men; and being found in 
fashion as a man, he humbled himself.”’ Phil. 2: 6-8. 
He “‘was born of the seed of David according to the 
flesh” and was ‘declared to be the Son of God with- 
power, according to the spirit of holiness.’”?’ Rom. 1: 

242 


THE CHRIST OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 


3,4. Jesus called God his Father, and in a unique 
sense. The story of the coming of the Son of God in 
the flesh is told in Matt. 1: 18-25 and Luke 1: 5 to 
2: 7, narratives which are marked for their simplicity, 
Sweetness, and delicacy. The New Testament de- 
clares that “God was in Christ.”” II Cor. 5:19. And 
Jesus said, “He that hath seen me hath seen the 
Father,” John 14: 9, and “I and the Father are one,”’ 
John 10: 30. 


Jesus the Man. Jesus, who was born in Beth- 
lehem, lived the normal life of a Jewish boy brought 
up in a reverent and godly home. His boyhood of 
which we have but one glimpse, Luke 2: 40-52, and 
his youth, eighteen “silent years,” were spent in 
getting ready for his intensive ministry of three years. 
His baptism and his temptation finished this period of 
preparation and he was ready for his ministry. He 
was a true “son of man.” ‘For we have not a high 
priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our 
infirmities; but one that hath been in all points 
tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” “For in 
that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is 
able to succor them that are tempted.” Heb. 4: 
1322218, 


Jesus the Teacher and Wonder Worker. The 
New Testament presents Jesus as the great Teacher 
of whom it was said, “Never man so spake,” John 
7: 46. He was the great Miracle Worker who led 
men to ask in amazement, “What manner of man is 
this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?” 
Matt. 8: 27. 

243 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


The Character of Jesus. The New Testament 
presents Jesus as the perfect Man. He was the ex- 
emplification of every virtue without its natural 
defects. His love was balanced by justice and 
wisdom. His indignation was guided by justice and 
love. His gentleness was balanced by his strength, 
and his strength by his gentleness. His character 
was free from negative defects. He could look even 
his bitterest enemies in the face and challenge them, 
“Which of you convicteth me of sin?” John 8: 46. 
In human experience the holiest men are the most 
sensitive to their own defects, and yet the most careful 
students of the New Testament account of Jesus 
declare that they cannot find in Jesus’ words or acts 
the least indication of any consciousness of sin in 
himself. Everywhere in the New Testament he is 
pointed to as the supreme example. “Have this 
mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus,” is 
Paul’s exhortation in Phil. 2:5. In his First Epistle, 
John writes, ‘‘He that saith he abideth in him ought 
himself also to walk even as he walked.”’ Ch. 2: 6. 
Jesus said, “I have given you an example, that ye 
also should do as [ have done to you.” John 13: 15. 


Jesus Crucified. The Jesus whose hands and 
feet were pierced with the nails and whose side was 
thrust through with the spear is the Jesus of the New 
Testament. Paul declared that among the Corin- 
thians he ‘‘determined not to know anything... save 
Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”” I Cor. 2:2. The 
four Gospels lay stress upon the death of Jesus by 
the space which they give to the story of the events 


244 


ae ee oo ee 


THE CHRIST OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 


connected with his crucifixion. Jesus laid stress 
upon his death in the establishment of the Lord’s 
Supper and the New Testament Church emphasized 
it by its celebration of the communion of the Lord’s 


Supper. Jesus is ever the Jesus of Calvary. “Greater 


love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his 
life for his friends.” John 15: 13. “But God com- 
mendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we 
were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’”? Rom. 5: 8. 
“Being found in fashion as a man, he humbled him- 
self, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the 
death of the cross.” Phil. 2: 8. Jesus said: “The 
hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. 
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a grain of 
wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth by itself 
alone; but if it die, it beareth much fruit.” John 12: 
23, 24. Jesus was he who “endured the cross, de- 
spising shame.”’ Heb. 12: 2. To the Corinthians 
Paul wrote “For I delivered unto you first of all 
that which also I received: that Christ died for our 
sins according to the scriptures.” I Cor. 15:3. In 
I Peter 2: 21-24 we read, “Christ also suffered for 
you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow 
his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his 
mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; 
when he suffered, threatened not; but committed 
himself to him that judgeth righteously: who his own 
self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, 
having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; 
by whose stripes ye were healed.”’ The Jesus who 
appeared to John in Revelation was ‘‘the Living one” 
who ‘‘was dead.” Rev. 1:18. Thus throughout the 
245 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


New Testament Jesus is the One who died, and whose 
death had special significance. 


The Risen Jesus. The Gospels tell the story of 
Jesus’ resurrection, and Luke in The Acts says that 
“he also showed himself alive after his passion by 
many proofs, appearing unto them by the space of 
forty days,” Acts1:3. The whole New Testament 
proclaims a risen Jesus. He ‘‘was declared to be the 
Son of God with power... by the resurrection from 
the dead.”” Rom. 1: 4. In the fifteenth chapter of 
First Corinthians, Paul teaches that the resurrection 
of Jesus is the pivot of the gospel. “If Christ hath 
not been raised, then is our preaching vain, your 
faith also is vain... . But now hath Christ been 
raised from the dead.” [I Cor. 15: 14, 20. The 
Jesus who sent his messages to the seven churches 
said, ‘“‘Fear not; I am the first and the last, and the 
Living one; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive 
for evermore, and I have the keys of death and of 
Hades.” Rev. 1: 17, 18. In I Peter we read, 
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, who according to his great merey begat us 
again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus 
Christ from the dead.” Ch. 1: 3. Paul writes, 
“That ye may know what is the hope of his calling, 
what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the 
saints, and what the exceeding greatness of his 
power to us-ward who believe, according to that 
working of the strength of his might which he wrought 
in Christ, when he raised him from the dead.”’ Eph. 
1: 18-20. The apostles declared, ‘““This Jesus did ~ 

246 


THE CHRIST OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 


God raise up, whereof we all are witnesses.” Acts 2: 
32. The outstanding point in the teaching of the 
apostles was that they “proclaimed in Jesus the 
resurrection from the dead,” Acts 4: 2. 


The Ascended and Exalted Christ. ‘So then 
the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken unto them, was 
received up into heaven, and sat down at the right 
hand of God.” Mark 16:19. ‘And he led them out 
until they were over against Bethany: and he lifted 
up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to 
pass, while ne blessed them, he parted from them, 
and was carried up into heaven. And they wor- 
shipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great 
joy: and were continually in the temple, blessing 
God.” Luke 24:50-53. In The Acts, Luke adds, ‘“‘And 
while they were looking stedfastly into heaven as he 
went, behold two men stood by them in white 
apparel; who also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand 
ye looking into heaven? this Jesus, who was received 
up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner 
as ye beheld him going into heaven.” Acts 1: Oe te 
Yet the Jesus who left the world is also in the world, 
for he said to his disciples: ‘All authority hath 
been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye 
therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, 
baptizing them into the name of the Father and of 
the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to 
observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and 
lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the 
world.” Matt. 28: 18-20. Dying, Stephen said, 
“Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of 

247 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


man standing on the right hand of God.” Acts 7: 
56. Paul writes, ‘‘Wherefore also God highly ex- 
alted him, and gave unto him the name which is 
above every name; that in the name of Jesus every 
knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on 
earth and things under the earth, and that every 
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to 
the glory of God the Father.” Phil. 2:9-11. “And 
he is the head of the body, the church: who is the 
beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all 
things he might have the preéminence. For it was 
the good pleasure of the Father that in him should 
all the fulness dwell; and through him to reconcile 
all things unto himself, having made peace through 
the blood of his cross; through him, I say, whether 
things upon the earth, or things in the heavens.” 
Col. 1: 18-20. Of Jesus Paul says again, “He 
raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his 
right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule, 
and authority, and power, and dominion, and every 
name that is named, not only in this world, but also 
in that which is to come: and he put all things in 
subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head 
over all things to the church, which is his body, the 
fulness of him that filleth all in all.”’ Eph. 1: 20-23. 


Believers and the Living Christ. The relation 
of the believer to the living Christ is represented in 
the fifteenth chapter of John in the words of Jesus: 
“T am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth 
in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: 
for apart from me ye can do nothing.” V.5. Jesus 

248 


THE CHRIST OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 


does his work in the world largely through those who 
believe in him and abide in him. ‘For to me to live 
is Christ,” writes Paul. In Gal. 2: 20 he says, “I 
have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I 
that live, but Christ liveth in me: and that life which 
I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which 
is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself 
up for me.” 2 

So exalted is the place of Jesus in the New Testa- 
ment that baptism is to be ‘‘into the name of the 
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” And 
the New Testament benediction is, “The grace of 
the Lord Jesus Christ be with you,” I Cor. 16: 23, or 
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love 
of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be 
with you all,” II Cor. 13: 14, or ‘Peace be to the 
brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father 
and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all them 
that love our Lord Jesus Christ,’’ Eph. 6: 23, 24. 


Summary. The Jesus of the New Testament is 
the preéxistent Son of God, who was born in Beth- 
lehem as the child of Mary, lived the life of a true 
child and boy and man, became the great Teacher 
and Miracle Worker, the perfect Example of man- 
hood and the Revelation of God, died as the Saviour 
of men, rose again from the dead, ascended into 
heaven, and sits on the right hand of God in glory, 
but is also in a true sense present with believers in 
this world, and works through them and abides in 
them and they in him, the living Christ who was 
dead, but is alive forevermore, and will come again, 

249 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 


1. Why do we say that the New Testament teaches the pre- 
éxistence of Jesus? See John 1: 1-18; Phil. 2: 1-11. 


2. What is meant by the incarnation? See Hastings’ ‘‘Dic- 
tionary of the Bible,” article on “Incarnation.” 


3. What reasons, based upon the teaching of the New Testa- 
ment, can you give for the believing in the deity of Jesus? For 
a popular discussion of this question see ‘“The Deity of Christ,” 
by Robert E. Speer. 


4, Prepare to describe briefly the character of Jesus. See 
“The Character of Jesus,” by Charles E. Jefferson. 


5. What place does the New Testament give to the death of 
Jesus? By means of a concordance look up every New Testament 
reference to the ‘‘cross” of Christ, to his “death,” and to the 
fact t at he “died.” 


6. What place does the New Testament give to the resur- 
rection of Jesus? Look up the New Testament references to 
Jesus’ resurrection. They can be found by means of a con- 
cordance. 

7. Prepare to report on the question, ‘‘What place does the 
New Testament give to Jesus ascended and exalted?” Study 
Phil. 2: 1-11 and Col. 1: 9-23, with the aid of commentaries on 
these passages. 

8. What is the Christian’s relation to the living Christ as 
taught in John 15: 1-8? Consult a commentary on the passage. 
See also Andrew Murray’s “Abide in Christ,’ especially the 
comment for the ‘Fourth Day.” 


THE Books oF THE NEw TESTAMENT 


The Gospel:— Romans James 
According to Matthew _ I Corinthians I Peter 
According to Mark II Corinthians II Peter 
According to Luke Galatians I John 
According to John Ephesians II John 

The Acts Philippians III John 

Colossians Jude 


I Thessalonians Revelation 
II Thessalonians 

I Timothy 

II Timothy 

Titus 

Philemon 

Hebrews 


250 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


No attempt can be made to give a complete list of 
reference books dealing with the questions which are 
discussed in the chapters of this book. Many books 
would probably not be available for students using 
this course, unless they were in touch with a special 
library. A limited list of volumes dealing with 
different phases of the subject may prove helpful, 
however. : 

The books which are listed represent somewhat 
different views. Some are more conservative than 
others. 


Bible Dictionaries 


A Bible dictionary will be found helpful in the 
study of many particular subjects or special questions 
referred to in the various chapters of this book. The 
following is a short list of Bible dictionaries which 
might be consulted: 

“A Dictionary of the Bible,” Davis. In one 
volume, and conservative. Westminster Press. 

“A Dictionary of the Bible.” Edited by Hastings. 
Five volumes. Signed articles by various specialists. 
Views vary according to the author. Scribners. 

“International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia.” Five 
volumes. Conservative. Howard-Severance Co. 

“Dictionary of the Apostolic Church.” Edited 
by Hastings. Twovolumes. Views presented depend 
upon authors. Scribners. 


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THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


General Commentaries 


‘‘A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the 
Whole Bible,” by Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown. 
Conservative. Doran. 


‘The One Volume Bible Commentary,’? Dummelow. 
Not so conservative, but widely used. Macmillan. 

“The Expositor’s Bible.” Edited by Nicoll. A 
series of volumes on various books of the Bible or 
groups of books. Its quality varies with the author 
of the particular book. Doran. 


“The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges.” 
A much-used series of commentaries on the books 
of the Bible. Brief, compact. Putnam. 


Commentaries on Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, 
Acts, Romans, The Pastoral Epistles, and The General 
Epistles, by Erdman. Very readable, practical, and 
plain. Good to give ordinary students a knowledge 
of the books of the New Testament. Westminster 
Press. 

“The Expositor’s Greek Testament.” A very 


valuable commentary for those who know some 
Greek. Five volumes. Dodd, Mead and Co. 


Special Commentaries 


The following commentaries are of especial value 
not only because of their critical discussion of the 
text and its interpretation, but also for the special 
essays dealing with problems considered in this course: 

“Romans,” by Sanday, in “The International 
Critical Commentary” series. Comments are on the 

252 


BIBLIOGRAPITY 


Greek text, but the ‘“‘Detached Notes” are of great 
value to the student who does not know any Greek. 
Scribners. 

“St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians,’ by Light- 
foot. Comments are on the Greek text, but the 
_ Introductions and Dissertations are not beyond the 
serious student who does not know any Greek. 
Macmillan. 

“St. Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians,’’ by Light- 
foot. Comments are on the Greek text, but as in the 
case of Galatians, the Introduction and Dissertations 
are wonderful sources of information for students. 
Macmillan. 


Historical 


“Luke the Historian in the Light of Research,’’ by 
Robertson. Very valuable in connection with Chap- 
ter I, and for all historical references in The Acts. 
Subject and text indexes make this a practical refer- 
ence book. Scribners. 

“The Conflict of Christianity with Heathenism,”’ 
by Uhlhorn. This is a classic and will be found 
especially valuable. It is out of print but available 
in libraries. Scribners. 

“The Church in the Roman Empire,” by Ramsay, 
gives the results of research by a great scholar. His 
arguments are dominated by his “South Galatian”’ 
theory. The book is interesting reading, but is not 
easy to use as a reference book. Putnam. 

“St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen,’ by 
Ramsay, has the same characteristics as the preceding 
volume. Putnam. 

253 


THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 


Lives of Paul 


“The Life and Epistles of the Apostle Paul,” by 
Conybeare and Howson. A wonderful book for in- 
formation and perhaps the best book for students of 
this course. Crowell. 

“The Life and Work of St. Paul,” by Farrar. 
Dutton. 

“The Life and Letters of St. Paul,’? by Smith. 
Doran. 

“The Life of St. Paul,’ by Stalker. T. and T. 
Clark. 

“The Origin of Paul’s Religion,’ by Machen. A 
scholarly book dealing with special problems in 
connection with Paul’s life and letters. Macmillan. 

‘Paul of Tarsus,’”’ by Glover. Doran. 


The Life of Christ 


“The Life of Our Lord Upon the Earth,” by 
Andrews. A standard life of Christ with an outline 
harmony of the Gospels. Scribners. 

‘The Days of His Flesh,’’ by Smith. Doran. 

“The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah,” by 
Edersheim. Longmans, Green. 

“The Life of Jesus Christ,” by Stalker. Revell. 

‘“‘“A Harmony of the Gospels,’ by Stevens and 
Burton. Scribners. 


The Person and Character of Jesus 


“The Character of Jesus,” by Jefferson. An in- 
teresting study of the traits in Jesus’ character. 
Crowell. 


254 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


“The Deity of Christ,” by Speer. A helpful argu- 
- ment for the deity of Jesus. Revell. 

“The Divinity of Christ in the Gospel of John,” 
by Robertson. A study of the light which the 
Fourth Gospel throws upon the deity of Jesus. 
Revell. 

“The Jesus of History,” by Glover. Associated 
Press. 


Doctrine on the New Testament 


“The Theology of the New Testament,’ by Stevens. 
The Table of Contents and the Index will indicate 
where material related to this course of study will be 
found. Scribners. 


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